asked the Minister for Finance whether the Government have made any order permitting the banks to close during the course of the present dispute.
4.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Closing of Banks.
3.
asked the Minister for Finance if Government authority is required for the closure of the banks; and, if so, whether it was given and by whom.
I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 3 and 4 together.
The authority of the Government is not required for the closing of the banks and no order has been made by the Government in the matter.
Is that absolutely certain?
Yes. Perhaps I should add this clarification. There is no legislation under which the banks are required to seek permission to close other than on extraordinary bank holidays. They close on ordinary bank holidays like August Monday in the ordinary way, but they usually seek permission to close on 1st January each year and the Order in that instance is made under the Public Holidays Act, 1924. I might further clarify the matter by saying that, prior to the cessation of the Supplies and Services (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1946, which lapsed at the end of 1957, the banks could have been given permission under that Act to close on days other than ordinary bank holidays.
Apart from industrial disputes, the banks can, therefore, decide to close their doors entirely at any time?
As far as legislation is concerned, they can.
In theory and in actual fact, therefore, the banks can just close down?
There are, of course, other obligations to which they leave themselves open if they close without legislative permission.
Could the Minister say what repercussions there would be in those circumstances, circumstances in which they close without the permission of the Government?
There are some contractual obligations, but these would not be a matter for the Government.
Could the Minister enumerate some of these?
Yes. There is the payment of promissory notes on due dates, and so on.
Where will the Government borrow now?
Is it the position now that the banks cannot close for a day but they can, in fact, close for an indefinite period?
They can close on a bank holiday and they seek permission to close on a bank holiday other than the ordinary bank holidays. They seek permission to close, for example, on 1st January.
Would the Minister endeavour to use his good offices now to get them open, for a change?
They are abdicating their power.
Had the Government any information about this closing other than that available to the general public?
I had the same information as that available to the general public.
There was no official intimation to the Government that the banks were going to close in these particular circumstances?
I cannot answer that categorically. There may have been. If there was, I forget it.
Would the Government do anything to bring the parties together?
We cannot deal with the banks all day.
Nobody can, not even the Ceann Comhairle.
Not even the Government.
They should take a midnight ride to the Park.
Surely the Minister's attention must have been drawn to the fact that a member of the Northern Government has intervened and surely somebody from the South should intervene to try to bring this strike to a conclusion?
We have machinery here which the Northern Government have not got.
It does not seem to have worked very well for the past year or so.