Jim Higgins
Question:134 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Finance the files, if any, sought from his Department by the tribunals of inquiry currently sitting. [7266/99]
Written Answers. - Departmental Files.
As I indicated in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 18 on 25 February 1999, the Tribunal of Inquiry (Payments to Messrs. Charles Haughey and Michael Lowry) served an Order for Production on me, as Minister for Finance, on 16 December 1997, relating to documents pertaining to the operation of exchange controls in the years 1954 to 1993, inclusive. This Production Order also covered the Central Bank and in so far as it did so the Central Bank dealt directly with the tribunal. The Central Bank was delegated responsibility for the day to day operation of exchange controls with effect from 3 May 1965. Listings of files covered by the Order for Production have been forwarded from my Department to the Tribunal of Inquiry (Payments to Messrs. Charles Haughey and Michael Lowry).
Requests for other records have since been received from both the Tribunal of Inquiry (Payments to Messrs. Charles Haughey and Michael Lowry) and the Tribunal of Inquiry Into Certain Planning Matters and Payments.
In the cases referred to above both I and my Department have co-operated and continue to co-operate with the respective tribunals in making available the material sought in a manner acceptable to the tribunals.
In order to ensure the utmost confidentiality in all dealings with the tribunals and to ensure that they are enabled to perform the tasks assigned to them by the Oireachtas, it would not be appropriate for me to go into any further detail in relation to any dealings with either of the tribunals.