The Estimate is for £250,000 under this head. This case, as I said in the beginning, clearly shows how impossible it would be to indicate any possible description of No. 3. This is a case in which a particular sum has been voted for the Board of Works to advance loans in respect of compensations. Now, in the ordinary way, you would have in No. 3 (a) £1,000; (b) £2,000; (c) £1,500; (d) £1,400, and so on, so that Deputies will understand that it would be physically and otherwise impossible to describe first of all who the persons were who were getting the advances. I move this.
ESTIMATES. - PROPERTY LOSSES ADVANCES.
We excuse you this time.
I hope the President is not suggesting that this blank item, which is obviously unaccounted for, is at all comparable with the other blank items, where you have salaries, wages, and so on, that could be very easily accounted for, at least as an estimate for the future. They were arrived at by some method of computation, and we might at least have been put in possession of that computation. This present one has not been arrived at by any method of computation.
LIAM de ROISTE
I would like to ask the President if the arrangements for loans are in operation at present.
Sure.
LIAM de ROISTE
Well, I presume that when the Vote is passed it is intended to make arrangements. The reason I ask is because there are a number of persons who have asked from time to time if they could get loans, and how they could get them. I presume when the Vote is carried that arrangements will be made so that any enquirers will get public intimation as to how they can apply for these loans.
A very considerable proportion of this sum has already been lent. It is well known. Any person who has a claim can, I think, be informed locally. If there are going to be many more applications this fund will be insufficient. It has, I think, gone very nearly at the moment.
LIAM de ROISTE
I understood from the President a moment ago that no money has been lent so far.
Yes; I said "sure." The amount we advance in these cases is about three-fifths of the claim, that is, assuming that the claim is a fairly correct one, or the award. If the award is, say, £3,000, the Board of Works would advance in that case £1,200. Now that award may be an award of the Shaw Commission, and the Shaw Commission is unaware of the fact that we advance that or any amount.
Motion made and question put: "That the Dáil in Committee having considered the Estimates for Property Losses Advances in 1922-23, and having passed a Vote on Account of £100,000 for the period to the 6th December, 1922, recommend that the full Estimate of £250,000 for the Financial Year 1922-23 be adopted in due course by the Oireachtas."
Agreed.