asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the total amounts payable from EEC funds to each of the Irish political parties in 1977; and the available estimates of such payments in 1978.

There are no EEC funds payable directly to political parties, Irish or otherwise, in the member states. In its 1977 Budget, however, the European Parliament set aside a sum of 3 million units of account, or approximately £1.25 million, for an information campaign on direct elections. One million of these units of account were allocated to the Parliament's own information services while the other two million units of account were allocated to the six political groups in the European Parliament roughly according to their level of representation in the Parliament. The actual distribution of these funds to the political parties which make up the groups is, of course, a matter entirely for the groups themselves.

In their budget for 1978 the European Parliament propose to set aside an appropriation of 4.8 million EUA for its own information services for the purposes of direct elections and to make available a further sum of 4 million EUA for the political groups. As I mentioned earlier, however, the actual distribution of this latter sum among the political parties which make up the groups is entirely a matter for the groups themselves. I should also mention that for the moment the sums involved are provisional as the budget procedure is still under way and will not be finalised until December.

It is a once-off payment of funds? Is it in respect only of the European election or is it a continuing thing? Will it go on every year or are allocations to be made each year for parliamentary parties within the EEC?

No. I understand there is what one might call not a once-off but a twice-off payment in respect of the direct elections, one in this current year and the other for next year which are allocated between the groups. It is then a matter for them to decide how they allocate between the constitutent parties of their group. There will be no other payments to any groups for any purpose of that type.

I am asking the Minister for his guess on this point. Would it not be likely that the allocation between the national fragments inside the political groups in the European Parliament will leave all three Irish groups with a total sum of money which is pretty small, £40,000 or £50,000?

It may be something in excess of that. I think it will be quite considerable really, having regard to the other fund that will be made available to the Commission for the mounting of general information campaigns. I think it will be quite adequate.

It will be a sum which either the Minister's party or mine would lose in a general election.