asked the Minister for Finance if it is intended to float a National Loan in the New Year.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - National Loans.
67.
It is intended to float a National Loan in conjunction with the conversion offer which will be made to holders of the three Government loans due for redemption on 1st February, 1971.
68.
asked the Minister for Finance why interest payments on National Loans due on 15th October last and 15th November have not been paid; and when it is proposed to pay them.
During the bank closure it was not possible to pay interest on those National Loans Which are managed by the Bank of Ireland. When banking services resumed I asked the Bank of Ireland to issue the warrants for the interest payments as quickly as possible in the order in which they became due. Thus the payments which became due in the period May to September were to be issued before those falling due in October and November. A notice was published in the Press on 22nd and 27th November, 1970, showing the latest dates by which the interest payments due on the various loans would be made.
As set out in that notice, the payments due on 15th October, 1970, will be made on 16th December, 1970, those due on 15th November, 1970, will be made on 4th January, 1971, and all arrears of payments will be overtaken by 29th January, 1971.
(Interruptions.)
Will Deputy Treacy please allow Questions to continue? Will Deputy Treacy please resume his seat?
Let Deputy Fahey tell the House how many Christmas cards he sent out. Is the figure of 27,000 cards which I mentioned incorrect?
On a point of order. Deputy FitzGerald suggested that the Parliamentary Secretary and I have misled the House in some way. I would ask for clarification from Deputy FitzGerald on this point. It seems to be becoming a regular habit of Deputy FitzGerald and his party to make such unfounded allegations. Either he should substantiate what he has said or withdraw it.
I was defending the Minister against the Parliamentary Secretary's suggestion that he was not telling the truth on this occasion. This is no time to rehearse the charges against the Minister which have been fully explored but which we can deal with again——
If he wishes, we can go through that again.
The suggestion Deputy FitzGerald has made is still unexplained.
Am I entitled to rehearse the arms trial at this point? I am quite prepared to do so if the Chair will allow it.
Not at all.
What is the answer to Question No. 65? I could not hear it.
Blame your own party. I merely obeyed the Chair who called the questions. I shall be glad to repeat the reply if the Ceann Comhairle tells me to do so.
How could we have got to this point when we were only on Question No. 63?
I obeyed the Chair which is something the Deputy does not seem inclined to do.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary please repeat the reply to Question No. 65?
Certainly. It is as follows: No further plans for transferring Government Departments are at present under consideration.