asked the Minister for Finance if he will state the purposes for which the Government intend to draw on the Grant Counterpart Special Account, as agreed with the Government of the U.S.A., and the amounts, under each head, to be expended in the present financial year.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Grant Counterpart Special Account.
asked the Minister for Finance if he is now in a position to indicate the manner in which it is proposed to use the free grant of £1,000,000 recently made available to this Republic by the United States of America.
I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 12 and 13 together.
The Grant Counterpart Special Account has been drawn upon to the extent of £53,571, i.e., 5 per cent. of the total grant counterpart of £1,071,428, for payment to the United States Government in respect of administrative expenses in Ireland in accordance with Article IV (4) of the Economic Co-operation Agreement between Ireland and the United States of America. Of the balance of £1,017,857, £50,000 has been allocated, with the approval of the United States Government, towards meeting the expenses of technical assistance projects.
I am not yet in a position to indicate the purposes for which the remaining grant counterpart moneys will be utilised. These must be agreed with the Government of the United States in accordance with Article IV (6) of the Economic Co-operation Agreement.