asked the Minister for Energy if he will give the following data in respect of each one of the commercial semi-State companies under the aegis of his Department: (a) the total debt of the company, foreign and domestic; (b) the total of their debt which is not specifically guaranteed by means of Acts of the Oireachtas; (c) the borrowing covered by letters of comfort or other non-statutory forms of assurance; and if he will supply corresponding data for the same date five years previously.
Written Answers. - Commercial Semi-State Companies.
656.
The following is the information requested, as furnished by the commercial State-sponsored bodies under the aegis of my Department.
Bord Gáis Éireann: (a) Total Debt, domestic and foreign—1984 (31/10/84): Domestic, £22.587 million; Foreign, £26.711 million. 1979 (31/12/1979): £13.121 million; £6.826 million. (b) The total of their debt which is not specifically guaranteed by means of Acts of the Oireachtas—1984: £3.774 million. 1979: Nil. (c) Borrowings covered by letters of comfort or other non-statutory forms of assurance—1984: Nil. 1979: Nil.
ESB: (a) Total Debt, domestic and foreign—1984 (30-11-84): Domestic, £349.0 million: Foreign, £926.1 million. 1979 (31-3-1979)*: £181.4 million; £203.3 million. (b) The total of their debt which is not specifically guaranteed by means of Acts of the Oireachtas—1984: £55.9 million. 1979: £21.0 million. (c) Borrowings covered by letters of comfort or other non-statutory forms of assurance—1984: Nil. 1979: Nil.
* Information only available for end of Financial Year in 1979.
Irish National Petroleum Corporation (including its subsidiary, the Irish Refining Company Ltd.): (a) Total Debt, domestic and foreign—1984: Domestic, £3.75 million; foreign, US $46.2 million. 1979: £0.08 million. (b) The total of their debt which is not specifically guaranteed by means of Acts of the Oireachtas*—1984: £3.75 million; US $46.2 million. 1979: £0.08 million. (c) Borrowings covered by letters of comfort or other non-statutory forms of assurance—1984: Nil. 1979: Nil.
* Although the debts of the INPC are not specifically guaranteed by means of Acts of the Oireachtas the INPC is obliged by Article 89 of its Articles of Association to obtain the approval of the Minister for Energy, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, to its borrowings and this requirement has been followed since the Corporation's establishment in 1979.
Bord na Móna: (a) Total Debt, domestic and foreign—1984: Domestic, £108.1 million; Foreign, £33.8 million. 1979: £42.5 million; £10.0 million. (b) The total of their debt which is not specifically guaranteed by means of Acts of the Oireachtas—1984: £8.4 million. 1979: £7.6 million. (c) Borrowings covered by letters of comfort or other non-statutory forms of assurance—1984: nil. 1979: Nil.