Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 350: To ask the Minister for Finance the amount in the capital service redemption account. [31148/08]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Capital Services Redemption Account (CSRA) was established under Section 22 of the Finance Act 1950. It is used by the National Treasury Management Agency in the management of the National Debt, principally in relation to the interest and principal payments on the Exchequer's borrowing for capital purposes and also to record certain receipts and payments arising out of debt servicing and debt management transactions authorised under the Finance Acts. Payments from the Exchequer into the Account, which is also known as the Sinking Fund, are provided for in the Budget and legislated for, as needed, in the Finance Acts.

Budget 2008 provided for a payment to the CSRA of €489 million. The balance in the Account is subject to short-term fluctuations. However, in accordance with the debt management guidelines under which the National Treasury Management Agency operates, the balance in the Account at year-end will be less than €1 million.

Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 351: To ask the Minister for Finance the amount that has been allocated to purchase carbon credits in 2009. [31149/08]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Budget 2009 will be presented to the Dáil and published on Tuesday, 14 October. As the Deputy knows, it is not the usual practice to speculate in advance of the annual Budget on what it will contain and I do not propose to deviate from this practice now.