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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 26 Feb 1953

Vol. 136 No. 12

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Sterling Transfers to “Iron Curtain” Countries.

asked the Minister for Finance if he will give details of the amounts of sterling transferred, for purchases, to each of the countries behind the "Iron Curtain" since 1945 and the headings of the ten principal commodities or the description of merchandise, etc., in respect of the purchase of which these applications were entertained.

The Deputy's question is not precise as it does not define what he means by the term "Iron Curtain". Moreover, if I apprehend correctly what the Deputy intends that term to connote, not all the countries that are now, to use his own phrase "behind the Iron Curtain" have been in that position since 1945. In fact, many of suchcountries, according to my information, did not come under the domination of Communist Governments or Communist régimes, nor become completely satellites of the U.S.S.R., until dates subsequent to the 1st January, 1948; although two of them, Bulgaria and Rumania, were in that position some years earlier. As transfers of foreign exchange between 1945 and 1948 were made only to—I hope this time I will not offend the susceptibilities of Deputy Flanagan—Czechoslovakia, of the countries which I have presumed the Deputy to have in mind in using the phrase in his question, and as this country was not during that period "behind the Iron Curtain", I am confining my reply to the transactions of subsequent years.

In view of the difficulties which I have experienced by reason of the imprecise term used by the Deputy, I have not been able, in the time available, to construct the detailed analysis, under commodity and other heads, of the currency transfers to countries "behind the Iron Curtain" which he has requested.

Moreover, when the Deputy asks for "details of the amounts of sterling transferred" he is again being imprecise, as payments to these countries in the period in question were made in Irish currency to accounts in Irish banks of residents of the countries, in sterling to accounts in British banks of residents of the countries and, in the case of Czechoslovakia, in Czech currency. Accordingly, I am giving him the approximate sterling value of all payments effected in Irish currency, sterling or foreign currency, expressed as global figures, for the years 1948-1952, inclusive, so far as such payments were made to all those countries to which I have assumed the Deputy's question refers:—

1948

£476,000

1949

£876,000

1950

£2,663,000

1951

£1,734,000

1952

£638,000

I should warn the Deputy that these figures may be subject to material correction, by reason of the difficulty of determining, in the case of certaincountries, at what precise date, particularly in the year 1948, the "Iron Curtain" may be regarded as having fallen upon them; for instance, in the case of Czechoslovakia, the Government of President Benes fell in February, 1948, but it is a matter of some conjecture as to when that country came completely within the category which I think the Deputy has in mind.

From what I have said the Deputy will readily understand that a good deal of research would be required in order to answer his question with any exactitude, and I am not certain that public value of the information sought would justify the expenditure of time and money which its ascertainment would necessitate. I cannot, therefore, undertake to give the Deputy at any future date more precise or more detailed information than I have given to him to-day or than is available in the published trade statistics.

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