asked the Minister for Finance if the final details of the additional bilateral transfers agreed in connection with Irish entry into the proposed European Monetary System have yet been settled; and, if so, if he will indicate what they are and their scheduling.

The details of the proposed transfers of resources have not yet been settled.

Is the Minister saying that a month after the scheduled start of EMS and the Government's decision to enter the EMS had it commenced on 1 January, we still do not know under what terms we are entering the EMS?

We know the terms, but the final details of the matters referred to in the Deputy's question are unlikely to become available until the EMS comes into operation.

If the Government know the terms under which we are entering into EMS, the last time we discussed this we were told by both the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste that they did not know the terms of our entry——

Question No. 16.

——and the House has not been informed since.

The Deputy is using Question Time to make long statements.

If the Chair looks at the question——

I am very well aware of the question. I am anxious to give the Deputy every opportunity to raise supplementaries, but I will not permit——

The question I asked the Minister was if the Government are aware of the precise terms and, if so, would he state what they are. The Minister told us that he is not aware of them and then said that they did not affect us but that we were aware of what affected us. I am just asking that the Minister tell the House what are the terms he is aware of?

As has been said on a number of occasions, and as the Deputy well knows, the terms are that the capitalised value of the proposed interest subsidy in relation to what the Deputy refers to is expected to amount to £25 million during each of the first two years of the operation of the EMS. The final details, which the Deputy's question seeks, have not yet been settled and, as I have indicated, they are unlikely to become available until after the EMS comes into operation.

Of what do the final details comprise?

Various matters.

Will the Minister say what are the various matters?

No, they are too broad and comprehensive.

Was anything settled?

Yes.

Everything was settled except the broad and comprehensive details.

If the Deputy wishes to put it that way, he can accept responsibility for that statement. I do not accept responsibility for any statement by Deputy FitzGerald.

Question No. 16.

16.