asked the Minister for External Affairs if he is aware that considerable sums of Irish money were sent to countries now occupied by one of the belligerents and that this money was paid for goods to be shipped at a later date; if he can state whether the position of Irish nationals has been prejudiced by conferences held on this subject in other countries; and whether the Government intend to set up a register of the claims and present them at the earliest moment to the appropriate party.
Ceisteanna.—Questions. Oral Answers. - Irish Credits in Occupied Countries.
Cases of the kind to which the Deputy refers have been brought to the notice of my Department. In some of the cases, the goods concerned were actually despatched by the Continental firms, but were held up en route owing to the war situation and are warehoused until facilities for forwarding them are available. In some of the cases, even where the goods had not been despatched, the Irish firms preferred at the time to leave their orders with the Continental firms with a view to securing delivery of the goods as early as might be practicable. In all cases, of course, the rights of the Irish firms concerned depend on the terms of their contracts—for instance, whether their claim now is for the goods or for the money they paid for them.
I am not aware that the position of the Irish firms concerned has been prejudiced by conferences held on the subject in other countries.
Of the cases involving approximately £9,500 that have been brought to our notice, my Department has succeeded in obtaining repayment for some of the Irish firms of over £3,600, and every effort will be made to effect a cash settlement in the remaining cases that have been, or may in future be, brought to our notice and in which the firms desire that we should endeavour to do so.