asked the Taoiseach (a) the total amount of foreign capital invested in Ireland today, and (b) the total amount of Irish capital invested abroad.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Irish and Foreign Capital Investment.
4.
There is not sufficient information available regarding the total foreign capital invested in the State and the total value of external assets held by Irish residents on which to base reliable estimates of their aggregate magnitude. It is not possible, therefore, to give the information requested by the Deputy.
They intended to look for another £7 million.
Surely the Minister for Finance has that information?
The expenditure involved in compiling this information would not warrant——
That is not what the Parliamentary Secretary said first. Which is the truth? It is not worth compiling or it has not been got?
It is not worth compiling.
(South Tipperary): Surely this is a most important matter and the information is worth compiling? Our counterpart in Northern Ireland came down here and said how much American money was invested in the North, and here we say the information cannot be given.
Surely if the Government have £100,000 to spend on two elections they could spend £10,000 or £15,000 on this? It is a poor state of affairs if we cannot get that information.
It is a poor state— period.