This Bill on the appointment of a Comptroller and Auditor-General deals with the office of one of the most important officers of the State. The Comptroller and Auditor-General exercises a very useful function. He has to be satisfied that all requisitions for money are duly and properly in order. That is that Parliament has provided the authority for the sum which is in requisition and subsequently to have examined or to examine the amount and report to the Dáil. The position is dealt with in the Constitution in Articles 61, 62 and 63, and it is mentioned there that "he shall control all disbursements and audit all accounts and monies and report to the Dáil at stated periods to be determined by law." It is for the purpose of carrying out those provisions of the Constitution that the Bill is introduced. There are several sections in the Bill. It deals with the establishment of office, salary, tenure of office staff, and the control of the departments and the duties of the Comptroller and Auditor-General. It is a short Bill, but one that we require to have passed in order to deal properly with the funds of the State, and I formally beg to move for leave to bring in this Bill.
IRISH RAILWAYS. - APPOINTMENT OF COMPTROLLER AND AUDITOR-GENERAL BILL.
I beg to second it.
Motion made, and question put: "That leave to introduce the Appointment of Comptroller and Auditor-General Bill be granted."
Agreed.