asked the Minister for Finance the national debt per employed person in Ireland.

The national debt per employed person is provisionally estimated at £6,800 as at end-1980.

Is the Minister satisfied that this is not an intolerable burden to be paid by the taxpayers of the future? Will he let me know how this compares with the national debt in other countries? Will he not agree that it is probably the highest in Europe?

I have no information on how it compares with the national debt per employed person in other countries. If the Deputy puts down a question on the matter I will answer it.

I did, but it was ruled out of order. I thought the Minister might know the answer.

The Minister can only give information that is in his brief. If the Deputy wishes to know the position he should put down a specific question.

The common form of any Minister's advisers is that where a comparison with the other EEC countries might yield any fragment of consolation to a Minister it will be put down in his brief. If the comparative EEC figures are not in the Minister's brief it is because they would be damning from his point of view.

I can only tell the Deputy what is in my brief. That information is not in it. I have suggested to the Deputy that he should put down a specific question.

The Minister was asked questions about unemployment half an hour ago and, quite gratuitously, he brought in EEC figures. He has done that today and on every other occasion when he thought they lent colour to what he was saying.

The Deputy should not make assumptions.

I am calling Question No. 24.

We are in the banana republic stage compared with the other EEC countries.

As long as the Deputy says that——

We should be honoured to owe so much money for the privilege of having the Taoiseach, Deputy Haughey, and his crew in power. It is too good for us.

I have called Question No. 24.

24.