John Browne
Question:22 Mr. Browne (Carlow-Kilkenny) asked the Minister for Finance whether the Government have made any approach to have the headquarters of the European Central Bank situated in Dublin.
Written Answers. - European Central Bank.
I refer the Deputy to my reply of 3 March this year where I indicated that no decision has yet been reached on this matter and that is still the case. The Protocols on the Statutes of the European System of Central Banks and the European Monetary Institute, which are part of the new Treaty on European Union, provide that, before the end of 1992, decisions on the seats of the ECB and the EMI shall be taken by common accord of the Governments of the member states at the level of Heads of State or of Government.
The decision on the siting of the ECB is likely to be taken in the context of an overall agreement on the siting of a number of Community bodies which have yet to be decided. Ireland will be pressing to have one of the new Community bodies sited here.