asked the Minister for Finance the impact of devaluation of the punt during 1983 on the national debt.
Written Answers. - National Debt.
257.
The total exchange losses on the external component of the national debt (i.e. the Exchequer's external debt) in 1983 were approximately £810 million. Of this amount, approximately £200 million was the result of the 3.5 per cent devaluation of the Irish £ in the EMS realignment of 21 March 1983. The balance was due partly to the revaluation of the DM and the Dutch guilder in the realignment but more importantly to the appreciation of most of the other currencies in which our external debt is denominated, in particular the US $ which accounts for 40 per cent of our external debt and which appreciated by 23 per cent against the Irish £ between 31/12/82 and 31/12/83.
258.
asked the Minister for Finance the national debt at the end of (a) 1982; and (b) 1983; and (c) the estimates for the end of 1984.
The national debt at 31 December 1982 was £12.8 billion and is estimated to have been £15.7 billion approximately at 31 December 1983.
It is not the practice to provide projections of national debt for a variety of reasons and I regret therefore that I am not in a position to give a figure for the end of 1984.