May I ask the permission of the Committee to take up the Post Office Estimates now? The Postmaster-General is here and he is anxious that we should take up this Vote.
ESTIMATES FOR PUBLIC SERVICES. - DAIL IN COMMITTEE.
The Dáil went into Committee on the Estimates for public service.
May I ask whether, in taking up this Vote and having disposed of it, the other Votes will be taken up in their numerical order, the order of procession or merely in order of convenience?
It means more than the order of procession. It will be observed that Votes are in groups and the groups have a certain relation to particular Ministries. It was on the suggestion of the Deputy that I introduced this Order, but of course it is open to the Dáil at any time to ask that instead of group 2 or group 4, for example, we should take up some other group. I do not think you can have any complaint against the Ministry in this matter.
Oh, no; I am only asking for information.
The Committee then is going to deal with group 4 now?
Yes.
Before the Postmaster General rises to make a statement on this Vote, may I ask a general question now as to whether the Committee set up to consider the claims of what was known as the victimized Civil Servants have completed their inquiry, because I understand there is still a large number of young men out of employment waiting for the decision, and, there is at least one or two men affected in all Departments dealt with in these Estimates. If that is so, it will save the trouble of raising the point on each item if we have a general statement now, and I would be glad to have a general answer from the President, or whoever is going to speak on behalf of the Committee that enquired into the claims of these employees.
That Committee sat and has produced its reports. A very large number of persons are not satisfied with the result of that report who did not make their case before the Committee of Inquiry. I could get the Deputy further information upon the matter by to-morrow, but I hope the Deputy has in his mind the fact that although there are a great many so-called victimised civil servants, the actual number of bona fide cases is, certainly, not in any sort of reasonable proportion to the numbers claiming.