asked the Minister for Finance if he will state how much interest has accrued to the Marshall Aid Loan Counterpart Fund in the Central Bank in each financial year since the fund was established.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Interest on Loan Counterpart Fund.
Particulars of the interest received from the investments of the American Loan Counterpart Fund in each financial year since the fund was established will be found in the published accounts of the fund, which, as the Deputy was informed in reply to his question of the 28th October, 1953, have been presented to each House of the Oireachtas.
It may be possible for experienced civil servants to disentangle the accounts of that fund, but I cannot disentangle them, and I am asking the Minister for Finance to oblige me by setting some experienced financial civil servants to extracting from that complex return one item and give it to me, and I suggest it is the duty of the Minister for Finance to see that is done. I know the accounts exist but I defy any Deputy in this House to elucidate them.
If the Deputy genuinely does not understand the accounts right well, I appreciate that, and I will send him a letter giving him an indication of how it is clearly set out in that statement.
I appreciate the Minister's courteous observation but without in any way desiring to give him a dusty answer it would be a damn sight simpler if he would answer my question. That is all I want.
I think it is better to think more of the Deputy's education.
Not at all. I want the Minister to put down in the reportsthis simple answer to my question. If I repeat the question, will the Minister be good enough to give me not a letter but a parliamentary reply? I shall be glad to repeat the question next week, if that will suit the Minister's convenience.
Well, there is no standard of intelligence required to come into this House, and if the Deputy is not able to read the ordinary published returns what can I do about it?
I thought the courtesy would not last long. I shall repeat the question.
It is because the Deputy was discourteous in reply.