asked the Minister for Finance if he will explain the difference between the figure of £88.056 millions representing the total State assets on March 31st, 1950, as shown in Table VI of the tables issued in connection with the Financial Statement of May, 1950, and the figure of £83.064 millions as given by him in reply to a question on May 17th, 1950.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - State Assets.
The sum of £4,991,789 standing to the credit of the interest reserve account of the Savings Certificates Reserve Fund was included in table VI of the tables issued in connection with the Financial Statement, 1950, but was excluded, in the interests of comparability, from my reply to a parliamentary question by the Deputy on the 17th May, 1950.
Does the Minister not think it a pity that the officials of the Department of Finance would not put before this House and before the public figures which would tally?
I feel that complaint cannot be made about the way the accounts are presented. The difficulty is that if one is to have a comparison and if people interested in these financial matters want that, then you must keep in association with previous tables. Undoubtedly, there is a certain amount of confusion, but it is not a question of what the officials do. This is the standard that was set many years ago, and it has been maintained ever since. I could change the form of the accounts, but immediately the complaint would come that there was an attempt to hide something, so that it is better to have like to compare with like. I think anyone reading this will get an accurate picture, from the various facts stated, of what the situation is.
Will the Minister accept it that the effect of the presentation of the figures in this way may convey to many Deputies and to many members of the public a misleading picture?
I think that if attention is directed to the form of the question and to the reply given there cannot be very much confusion. In any event, I myself and, indeed, every other Minister finds himself in a difficulty from time to time. One has to suit the reply to the question that is asked. If I could direct a Deputy as to the proper question to be put down, from time to time I could give a more lucid explanation.
This Deputy was not responsible for this question.
I am speaking of questions generally.