asked the Minister for Finance if he can state when it is proposed to complete the repayments of the Dáil Loan (Internal) 1919-1920, to subscribers in the Achonry district, in the former Parliamentary Constituency of South Sligo.

The majority of the subscribers to the Dáil Eireann (Internal) Loan, 1919-20, in the Achonry district have already been repaid. In the remaining cases, the claimants have not furnished satisfactory evidence in support of their claims. The rate at which progress will be made in disposing of these must necessarily depend, to a large extent, on the parties concerned.

Is the Minister aware that over three years ago I handed in to his Department applications duly vouched by collectors from practically every subscriber in the Achonry district, and that while a good many of them have been paid, there are a number of claims still outstanding although they were handed in at the same time and vouched in the same way as the others? Is the Minister prepared to instruct his officials to expedite repayment in the remaining cases in this district?

There is relatively a very small proportion remaining. I could not give the Deputy the exact figures, but, I think, perhaps ten per cent. or a little over remain to be dealt with. Some of these are held up, for instance, in nine cases because the persons who made the loan have died, and certain difficulties have arisen. The matter is being dealt with as rapidly as possible, and only a relatively small number remain.