asked the Minister for Finance if he will state in respect of each of the years 1955 and 1956 (a) the amount of external assets of the Central Bank, (b) the amount of external assets held under the control of Government Departments, and (c) the interest rate earned on the money invested in Great Britain by the Central Bank.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - External Assets.
The external assets of the Central Bank at 31st March, 1955 and 31st March, 1956, were £84.0 million and £77.7 million respectively. The corresponding figures for Government Departments and the Courts of Justice were £40.6 million and £31.7 million.
In regard to (c) of the question I would refer the Deputy to my reply of 20th June last. The accounts of the Central Bank for the year ended 31st March, 1956, show the dividends and interest on the assets of the Legal Tender Note Fund at £2.51 million. The assets of that fund amounted to £73.96 million and £73.10 million at the beginning and end of 1955-56.