§ Mr. HUGH BARRIEasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he would state the amount of the Irish Church surplus remaining as at 1st January, 1906, and the amount still on hand at 1st January, 1911; and whether he would state what grants have been made from it in the interval?
§ The CHIEF SECRETARY for IRELAND (Mr. Birrell)It is not practicable to calculate a "surplus" in the manner suggested in the question. The capital debt of the Fund in 1906 was £4,671,600, and in 1910 was £3,250,000, excluding in both cases £20,000 and £70,000 annual charges now payable to the new Irish Universities and the Department of Agriculture respectively. The reduction of capital debt has been effected by applying all surplus moneys, whether received as annual income or capital repayments, in payment of debt. The estimated annual income was in 1906, £355,711, and in 1910 was reduced to £292,430, of which £166,330 is represented by terminable annuities, which will from time to time cease to be payable as the annuities expire. The permanent income also is being annually diminished by redemptions as land purchase proceeds. No further grants have been made from the Fund in the interval referred to in the question.