Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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497. To ask the Minister for Finance the amount of gold reserves held in Ireland from quarter one 2011 and quarter one 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20053/22]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The official numbers available on the level of gold reserves held in Ireland relate to the amount of gold reserves held by the Central Bank of Ireland. These are as follows;

The Central Bank increased its holdings of physical gold during 2021 and early 2022 as part of the diversified longer-term investment strategy for the discretionary investment assets, aimed at improving balance sheet resilience. Stocks of gold are primarily in the form of gold bars but also include a small amount of gold coin.

The full range of investment assets held by the Bank is published in its annual report. The Annual Reports are available on the Central Bank website here: www.centralbank.ie/publication/corporate-reports/annual-reports

Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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498. To ask the Minister for Finance the annual cost of servicing the national debt since 2011 to date in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20054/22]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The NTMA have informed me that the  table below shows the national debt service cost for each year from 2011 to 2021. The figure for 2021 is a provisional outturn as per the end-December 2021 Exchequer Statement. National debt service is a combination of interest together with fees and operating expenses. The years 2011 – 2014 in the table below also include a Sinking Fund payment.

The NTMA have also informed me that most recently, for Q1 2022, National debt service costs totalled €2,017m, marginally below the same period in 2021.