asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the estimated trade, commerce and tourism losses, revenue losses and the extra security costs arising from the troubles in Northern Ireland.
Written Answers. - Losses from Northern Ireland Troubles.
716.
It is not possible to quantify the losses to the economy in trade, commerce and tourism arising from the troubles in Northern Ireland. In so far as the recession in the Northern Ireland economy is partly due to the troubles they can be said to have depressed an important market for our products. Similarly in relation to tourism, the impact of the Northern Ireland situation has been significant particularly in relation to Britain, our largest market, the US and continental Europe but it is difficult to estimate in monetary terms because of the attendant difficulties of the recession and other intermittent influences on individual markets abroad.
Because of the complexity of the factors determining the level of national income, which is a major influence on the amount of Exchequer revenue, it is likewise not possible to isolate the effects of the situation in Northern Ireland on the individual components of national income and hence to assess its impact on Exchequer revenue.
The costs incurred on extra security in the Republic arising from the situation in Northern Ireland are made up principally of two items, namely, expenditure on the Defence Forces and expenditure on the Garda and prison services. Estimates of extra costs incurred on these items during the period 1969 to 1979 were given by the Minister for Finance in a Dáil reply on 26 June 1980 — Official Report, cols. 2318 and 2319). Extra costs incurred on the Defence Forces and on Garda and prison services respectively in 1980 are estimated at approximately £53 million and £26 million, in 1981 at £63 million and £35 million, and in 1982 at £70 million and £41 million each.