asked the Minister for Finance the up-to-date position in regard to the recovery of moneys issued from the Grant-in-Aid for Northern Relief.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Northern Relief Moneys.
21.
As I stated in reply to a question on 31st October last, the Attorney General consulted legal advisers abroad concerning the steps which might be taken to recover moneys unaccounted for from the £100,000 grant-in-aid for Northern Relief. In accordance with the advice received steps are now being taken to recover missing moneys.
When would the Minister hope to have some finality in this case, as it has been going on for some considerable time? Are there any proposals to have anybody brought before the courts in connection with the missing moneys?
The unauthorised transactions which occurred in relation to the use of the moneys in question which were voted for humanitarian purposes in the North were exceedingly complex and crossed the boundaries of a number of jurisdictions, and this is the reason why investigations into the matter have been exceedingly prolonged. There are a number of people jointly and severally liable, and I am not in a position to give any indication as to when the matter may be terminated. If, however, payment is made now by the persons responsible then, of course, there will be an immediate solution to the problem. I shall report to the House as soon as I am in a position to do so. In the meantime, it would be invidious of me to name any of the persons involved.
Could the Minister indicate whether the people involved are aliens or whether they are within our jurisdiction? Would he have any idea of the amount of moneys which will be recovered?
All I can say is that there are a number of people involved jointly and severally and they are in more than one jurisdiction. Until such time as the procedures necessary to recover the necessary moneys have been completed I would not know exactly what moneys might be recovered.