asked the Minister for Finance if he will state whether dollars are available from dollar resources of the sterling pool to meet our requirements of dollar currency; and if, at any future date, such currency accommodation is not available, whether there is any provision in the Marshall Aid Loan Agreement to provide for that contingency.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dollar Resources.
Dollars may be purchased for sterling to meet payments on the American loan. As regards the second part of the question, there is no specific provision in the loan agreements to cover the contingency mentioned by the Deputy. The only provision for relief—and it depends on the agreement of the other party to the loan—is that contained in paragraph 4 of the agreement of the 28th October, 1948, and paragraph 4 of the agreement of the 30th June, 1950, made by the then Minister for Finance with the Export-Import Bank of Washington as agents of the Government of the United States. The agreements in question were presented to both Houses of the Oireachtas and are published by the Stationery Office.