Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 2 Mar 1922

Vol. S2 No. 3

IRELAND'S FINANCIAL OBLIGATION.

SEAN UA CEALLAIGH

asked the Minister of Finance whether—

(a) In face of the declaration made by Mr. Winston Churchill in introducing the Free State Bill at Westminster that:

"Ulster will not have a decision without seeing the form of Government with which she will be associated; and in the meantime that Ulster stands wholly unaffected by the legislation"

he has considered the propriety of defining the extent of Ireland's financial obligation in the event of the final ratification of the Treaty, which provides in Clause V. that "The Irish Free State shall assume liability for the service of the Public Debt of the United Kingdom ... and towards the payment of war pensions"; is he in a position to say approximately what Ireland's annual burden will be under this Clause of the Treaty; if not, does he expect to be able to give the Irish people the necessary information on the subject before the General Election?

(b) Can the Minister of Finance say by what authority Lord Birkenhead stated at Westminster, February 14th:

"It is plain Mr. Collins is afraid an attempt might be made by violence by those who hoped to wreck the Treaty, and destroy the Provisional Government by seducing from them the armed forces upon whom, if it came to a trial of strength, they must in the last resort depend."?

MR. COLLINS:

That question may be divided into three parts, the first part having absolutely no connection with the second and third parts. I do not see why the first part of the question is addressed to the Minister of Finance. To deal with the question of Ireland's financial obligation or otherwise was put forward by me, helped by an expert Advisory Committee, as part of the work of the Irish Delegation in London. The British Government exchanged at the same time a memorandum giving their statement of their claim. Those two statements stand to be arbitrated on under the Articles of the Treaty.

As to what will happen, in the first place, let me say that I do not accept until that arbitration is completed that we owe England any contribution either annually or specific and I would not advise any representative of Ireland to suggest that we do owe them any contribution, as it weakens our case. If I have anything to do with advising on the matter, supposing the arbitration is given that we do owe something I shall advice that the liability be redeemed at once, and it is only when the liability can be seen that any chancellor can put forward proposals for redeeming it. Whether or not I shall be in a position to give the necessary information to the Irish people will depend largely upon whether we can have the necessary machinery working under the arbitration clauses. In my own opinion, or, at least as things look, I fancy it is only when a stable Government comes into power that any financial adjustment can absolutely be made.

(b) For a reply to that question I refer the Deputy for Louth to Lord Birkenhead.