asked the Minister for Finance if he will state whether his estimate of a total annual investment of £70,000,000, given in his speech in Dáil Éireann on March 23rd (Volume 119, No. 16, column 2513) is based on any statistical data published by the Central Statistics Office, the Central Bank, or otherwise; and, if so, if he will indicate the publications in which it is contained, and if not, if he will state whether any information has been supplied to him, from any of these sources, which would support this estimate, and whether it is proposed to make it available to Deputies; and if he will further state how he estimates that this figure was divided between (a) new capital raised from the public and (b) reserves retained in business out of profits.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Estimate of Annual Investment.
I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 42 and 44 together. Pending publication of a second White Paper on National Income and Expenditure—in continuation of that issued in 1946—it is my intention to give in the Budget statement such provisional estimates as are available in relation to national income, investment and cognate matters, including estimates of the capital needs of local authorities and statutory corporations during the financial year 1950-51, and I would ask the Deputy to await that information.