asked the Minister for Finance if he will state the amount of the Purchase Annuities Fund as at the passing of the Land (Purchase Annuities Fund) Act, 1933, and if he will state the amounts received (whether from purchasers or the Guarantee Fund) in respect of annuities due under the several Land Purchase Acts in the Guarantee Fund years ended in 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936 and 1937, and the payment to or disposal otherwise for the benefit of the Exchequer of such annuities, giving the dates of such receipts and payments in the said years.

The reply to this question is in the form of a tabular statement which will be circulated in the Official Report.

Following is the reply:—

The amount of the Purchase Annuities Fund at 30th March, 1933, the date of the passing of the Land (Purchase Annuities Fund) Act, 1933, was £2,992,109 0s. 9d.

The amounts received into the Purchase Annuities Fund:—

NOTE.—The amount of £337,101 5s. 9d. in Column 4 is exclusive of £1,403,371 19s. 7d arrears at 31-7-'33 of the Gale of Annuities due 1-5-'33 and 1-6-'33 made good by a Vote of the Dáil, and funded under the Land Act, 1933.

Sums paid into or disposed for the benefit of the Exchequer:—