asked the Minister for Finance the value of this country's external assets at the latest available date; and the corresponding figure at the same date last year.
88.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - External Assets.
87.
asked the Minister for Finance if he will give details of where and in what form this country's external assets are held.
89.
asked the Minister for Finance the total value of this country's gold reserves at the latest available date; and the corresponding value at the same date last year.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 87, 88 and 89 together.
I presume the Deputy is referring to the official external reserves which are held by the Central Bank. The latest statistics available show that these reserves at the end of May amounted to £407.5 million as follows:
|
£ million |
|
|
Gold |
7.6 |
|
Special Drawing Rights issued by the International Monetary Fund |
16.4 |
|
Reserve position in International Monetary Fund |
17.8 |
|
Sterling |
247.8 |
|
Other foreign exchange |
117.9 |
The corresponding total for end-May, 1972 was £404.3 million, including gold valued at £6.5 million.
Would the Minister have available the corresponding external indebtedness, in other words, the related figures of indebtedness to that figure of £407.5 million of assets?
It is a separate question to which I do not have the reply here.
Perhaps the Minister would confirm for me that the figure of £407.5 million is the figure of gross external assets, that it does not take into account any official foreign indebtedness?
Yes, I think that would be the position.