asked the Minister for Finance if he will state the purpose of the recent visit of officials of the International Bank and/or of the International Monetary Fund; whether such officials had any discussions with him or with other Ministers, or with the officers of his Department; and whether any, and, if so, what, arrangements were made at such discussions.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Visit of Officials of International Bank.
The recent visit of officials of the International Monetary Fund was for the first annual consultation under Article 14 of the Articles of Agreement of the Fund regarding the maintenance of exchange restrictions on current international transactions. Discussions were held with officers of my Department and also with officers of the Central Bank, the Central Statistics Office and the Departments of Agriculture and Industry and Commerce. The mission was a fact-finding one.
Would the Minister be prepared to announce the facts that were found.
I could not say. They have not issued their report yet.
Who has not issued a report?
The mission.
Presumably the Minister for Finance knew the facts communicated to the International Bank mission before they were communicated to him?
We explained all the facts to them.
Is it your intention to inform the House what those facts were?
If the Deputy has the energy to go to the Library, he will find them all there.
It would be interesting to know which of them was supplied.
He does not know where he was this time last year.