asked the Minister for Finance if he will state the total amounts made available to this country by the Government of the United States of America under the Marshall Aid scheme by way of (1) loan, and (2) grant, the amounts already allocated for specified purposes and the amount, if any, still available for allocation and the purpose for which it is intended to be made available.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Marshall Aid Scheme.
The total value of goods and services supplied to this country under the Marshall Aid scheme was (1) $128.2 million on credit terms and (2) $18,000,000 on a grant basis. In addition, dollar expenditure estimated at $300,000 in respect of specific technical assistance projects has been or will be defrayed under the scheme on a grant basis. All further assistance to this country under the scheme has been suspended.
With regard to the allocation of the moneys provided under the scheme, the position is that the Marshall Aid loan and grant were expended in purchases from the United States as follows:—
|
$million |
|
|
Corn and sorghums |
46.7 |
|
Tobacco |
35.7 |
|
Wheat and flour |
20.2 |
|
Petrol and Petroleum Products |
13.3 |
|
Equipment, machinery, etc. |
6.9 |
|
Pulp, Paper and Paper Products |
4.7 |
|
Motor Vehicles |
3.9 |
|
Timber and Timber Products |
3.5 |
|
Iron and Steel Mill Materials and Manufactures |
3.3 |
|
Other Purchases |
6.2 |
|
Freight |
1.8 |
|
$146.2 |
Practically all of this expenditure was in respect of goods supplied or purchase commitments entered into prior to 13th June, 1951.
How much was spent on luxury goods?
I know that only 6.9 million dollars out of 146,000,000 dollars were spent on equipment and machinery.
Will the Minister answer that part of the question which requests information as to what amount is still available for allocation?
None is still available. I told the Deputy that it was all spent before the 13th June, 1951, on corn, tobacco, sorghums, etc.
Has the Minister not spent 22,000,000 dollars himself?
Does the Minister recognise that corn and sorghums are the raw material of the agricultural export industry and does he make no allowance for the use of the resources of this country to purchase raw material for the agricultural industry?
That is purely a separate question.
The Minister described the articles purchased.
The question asks the Minister to state the total amount made available under the loan and under the grant and the amount still available for allocation.
He described in a list the commodities purchased by Marshall Aid dollars, stating that, of the outlay, only 6,000,000 dollars related to machinery, etc. I desire to ask the Minister if, in the list of commodities he read out, he did not recognise the raw materials for the basic industry of this country.
"Speed the plough."
This is an expensive memorial testifying to the collapse of Deputy Dillon's agricultural policy.