I propose to make a statement dealing briefly with the principal items that come under the authority of my Department. I hope by doing so that I may anticipate some questions. It is not an easy matter to do so, but it may shorten discussion, and it may be helpful to Deputies later on if they have certain facts on the official records. I would also like to mention that this Department is fairly comprehensive, and that the number of matters that come under my jurisdiction are very far away from my supervision. I have only knowledge of them at second or third hand, and, although they are legitimate topics for discussion, it would be very difficult for me to give any detailed information on them. To be able to do so I would require to have the head of every section of my Department and every inspector here. Even then a great many matters would not be answered at first hand. To begin with, the total Estimate for the present year shows a decreases of £275,453 compared with the previous year. That is mainly accounted for by a decrease in the Vote for housing. These Estimates were prepared at the end of last year, and at that time we did not see clearly what provision would be made this year for housing. Since then a new Housing Act has passed through the Oireachtas, and it will be necessary to have a Supplementary Vote for it later on.
While I am dealing with housing it may be well to give a brief statement of the position with regard to it in the Free State at present. The principal statutes in relation to housing in An Saorstát are—The Housing (Building Facilities) Acts; the Housing of the Working Classes (Ireland) Acts; and the Labourers (Ireland) Acts. The Housing (Building Facilities) Act, 1924, with which we are all familiar, became law on the 21st of April of that year. It enabled the payment of grants out of State funds of from £50 to £100 to private persons erecting three, four, or five-roomed houses between the floor area limits of 520 and 1,000 square feet. The grants for houses erected in rural areas were slightly less than those for urban areas. The Act also provided for the payment of grants of two-thirds of these amounts for the reconstruction of existing houses in urban and suburban areas. This Act expires on the 21st February, 1926, but can be extended to certain cases up to 21st June, 1926. The total amount made available for grants under the Act from State funds was £300,000, apportioned as follows: £250,000 for new houses, and £50,000 for reconstruction. Local authorities (county councils, county borough councils, urban district councils and town commissioners) were authorised to supplement the State assistance afforded under the Act in the following ways:—(a) By a further free grant; or (b) by a loan; or (c) by the grant or lease of a site; or (d) by carrying out development works. The sale prices and rents of houses provided under the Act were restricted up to the 26th June, 1926.
Generally speaking, local authorities did not to any great extent exercise their powers to supplement the State assistance. Urban authorities, with the exception of Dublin, Waterford, Clonmel, Thurles and Ennis, did not formulate schemes for supplemental assistance. Most of the county councils granted loans to builders, but two county councils gave reduced cash grants. To the 22nd of last month proposals have been approved for the erection of 3,178 new houses and for the reconstruction of 113 houses. Of the new houses 565 (232 in Dublin) are in municipal areas, and 2,613 are in the rural districts. In respect of these houses £269,605 has been earmarked for new houses and £5,333 for reconstruction. It will be seen that a balance of £25,062 remains unallocated, but this balance will be consumed when the applications at present before the Department are dealt with. Many of the approved houses are completed or nearing completion, and it is anticipated that the proposals approved to date will materialise almost to the full during the ensuing building season.
Coming now to the Labourers (Ireland) Act, I find that under the Labourers (Ireland) Act fourteen local authorities are completing schemes providing about 300 houses. It is anticipated that the effects of the grants now available under the Housing Act, 1925, will lead to a considerable amount of rural building activities.
With regard to housing under the Working Classes Act, work under these Acts has been mainly confined to completion of schemes undertaken by the local authorities under the Government scheme of 1922, whereby £1,000,000 was made available for the erection of houses by urban authorities. Approximately 2,100 houses have been provided or will be completed within the early portion of the financial year.
During the past financial year only one important contract was entered into by a local authority under the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1919. This was by the Dublin Borough Commissioners in June last for 197 houses at £550 per house, this being the second Marino scheme. A contract for the first section of the Marino scheme was taken twelve months previously for 590 houses. During the past few weeks a contract has been entered into for 200 houses at £530 per house. Generally speaking, competitive tenders show that contract prices are decreasing, but it would not be accurate to suggest that the cost of the principal building materials has fallen to any appreciable extent. Imported goods show a substantial decrease in price, and would account for the reduction, but building materials and bricks still remain at a prohibitive figure. As regards the present building outlook, I would say that fresh inquiries with a view to providing houses are received by my Department at the rate of about 50 per day, and it would seem that the 1925 Act is likely to be taken up as favourably as its predecessor. The Dublin Commissioners have taken contracts for 550 houses this month, and are inviting tenders for various schemes containing a further 700 houses.
Smaller urban authorities are also proceeding; they are: Waterford, Ardee, Drogheda, Tuam, Ennis, and Killarney. While we are not yet in actual official touch with the proposals, we know that large firms are endeavouring to get their employees to form public utility societies for the purpose of providing houses under the 1925 Act. I do not think at the moment that it is necessary to go any further into the housing question.
Coming to the individual sub-heads of the Vote, it will be found that under sub-head (a) there is a decrease of £7,285, and a reduction of 17 in the number of the staff. Vacancies which occurred in the permanent clerical staff have, for the time being, been filled by temporary clerks. The reduction has been mainly brought about by the transfer of the temporary staff, formerly on loan, to the Soldiers' and Sailors' department for the administration of the Act relating to the provision of cottages for British ex-service men. This service is now under the control of a Land Trust, and the temporary staff have been taken over by the trust, and will be provided for out of the trust funds. While the temporary staff were on loan their remuneration was recouped in full by the British Treasury.
One general inspector retired under the Treaty during the year and one lady general inspector resigned on marriage. Neither of the vacancies has been filled. Two temporary engineering inspectors were employed for the Road Department, and two of the temporary housing inspectors who were on loan to the Soldiers' and Sailors' Department have been taken over by the Land Trust.
The Vote for the present year contains provisions for 13 members of the permanent staff on loan to the other departments, including 7 members on loan to the Sailors' and Soldiers' Department, whose salaries are being recouped in full by the Land Trust. One member is attached temporarily to the General Register Office, one is attached to the Department of Justice, one to the General Nursing Council, one to the Board of Works, one senior Auditor to the Exchequer and Audit Department, one general Inspector to the Department of Defence. The cost of the staff on loan is approximately £6,500. Of the inspectorial staff, seven have been appointed to discharge the duties of local authorities that have been dissolved—that is four to the Dublin Corporation and Dublin Union; one to the Kerry Council and Board of Health, and the County Cork Boards of Health; one to Offaly County and Board of Health, and one to the Tipperary Urban District.
Coming to sub-head (b), travelling expenses, etc., of inspectors, the actual travelling expenses are recouped, and subsistence allowance is provided in accordance with the scale in the Estimates. Last year's estimate was £11,200. The actual expenditure was £9,431. Sub-head (bb) is for expenses in connection with the International Congress. This was for attending the International Congress in connection with roads and tuberculosis, and the International Union in connection with tuberculosis, which are both very commendable objects.
Sub-heads (c and d) are for salaries of auditors and for travelling, etc., of auditors. There is a decrease of £4,000 in the Estimates and a reduction of five in number. Three resigned under the Treaty, one was transferred to the Exchequer and Audit Department, and one temporary auditor resigned. None of the vacancies has been filled. Travelling expenses and subsistence allowance is given as in the case of inspectors. At the present time the audit generally throughout the country is rather in arrear owing to the disturbed conditions of the recent past. We expect as a result of the Local Government Bill and the doing away with the rural district councils that we will be able to catch up with the arrears of audit in the near future, and that we will then be able to keep well up with our work.
Sub-head E is the amount provided to meet any unforeseen claims that may arise in respect of the period prior to 1922. Any proceedings involving legal costs are now conducted through the Chief State Solicitor's Department.
Sub-head (f).—These are normal expenses incidental to the holding of public inquiries in connection of local authorities for loans. When an inspector is directed to hold a local inquiry due notice has to be given in the Press for two consecutive weeks. These notices are inserted by my Department. In important inquiries a shorthand writer is engaged to furnish a verbatim report of the evidence. The costs are recovered from local bodies except in cases of inquiries connected with the Poor Law.
Sub-head (g).—This deals with the Dublin Vaccine Institution. In 1876 it was arranged that the Dublin Vaccine Institution should become a Government office under the control of the Local Government for the purpose of gratuitously distributing lymph to the authorities of workhouses and dispensaries in Ireland. Under this arrangement the then existing officers of the institution became subordinate to the Local Government Board, but did not become Government officers as regards title to pension, etc. An arrangement exists whereby the requisite quantities of glycerinated calf lymph would be obtained under contract from time to time as required by the National Vaccine Institute at Sandymount.
Incidental expenses.—For these £200 is for office travelling. It is necessary at times to send an indoor officer to the country to consult with local officers upon special duties—for example, work connected with registration and making arrangements for dealing with matters of that kind.
Miscellaneous minor services.—These represent the cost of advertisements, daily papers, Local Government publications, petty office expenses, expenses of messages, and tram fares, when urgent delivery of letters is required. Often times it is necessary in these urgent cases to send despatches by hand.
Telegrams and Telephones.—These represent the amount payable to the General Post Office in respect of the cost of telegrams and telephone installation. We had all that last year. It is often necessary in my department to send a wire where in the ordinary case a letter might do. Sometimes a very urgent matter comes up before a local authority, and it is necessary for us to have an answer to the questioi sent down to them before the body meets, and in that way expenses in telegrams are incurred that in the ordinary case would not arise.
I do not think it is necessary to go into sub-heads (i) and (j) at the present moment. These are in respect of annuities payable by rural district councils for advances under the Labourers Act.
Maternity and child welfare schemes may be provided in accordance with the Notification of Birth (Extension) Act, 1915. The State Grant was not made available until 1916. The grant is largely distributed among voluntary agencies. Briefly, the scope of the grant covers expenditure on the following services for expectant and nursing mothers, and children under five years of age; health visiting by trained nurses; home-nursing services, including midwifery and medical aid; home help during the confinement period; hospital and lying-in accommodation where necessary; creches and day nurseries, and the supply of milk and food in necessitous cases.
The National Grant defrays fifty per cent. of the net cost of approved services. The principal undertaking assisted is the provision of health visitors, that is to say, trained nurses, who get in touch with expectant and nursing mothers, and children under five years of age, and give advice as to maternal health, and as to the care and management of young children. The primary object of health-visiting is preventive, so as to forestall the development of conditions of ill-health. The work is carried on by whole-time officers in the larger centres of population, and elsewhere the services of district nurses have been utilised on part-time conditions. About 130 nurses in all are so engaged. Twenty-four local authorities and ninety-three voluntary agencies participate in the grant. The grouping of the voluntary agencies is as follows:—Health visiting, 71; centres, etc., 5; institutions, 7; boarding-out agencies, 6; food provision, 4. It is satisfactory to note that the downward movement of infant mortality is maintained. The rate in the Irish Free State for 1923 is the lowest on record. The general infant mortality for 1924 was as follows:— Whole country, 71 per 1,000 births; urban districts, 102 per 1,000 births; rural districts, 55 per 1,000 births. It was, therefore, somewhat higher than in 1923 (66), but 10 per thousand under preceding 10 years' average. It is, of course, realised that much remains to be accomplished. In rural districts nearly two-thirds of the total infant mortality takes place in the first three months, a condition which would doubtless be remedied by a more efficient midwifery service. It is hoped that the proposals for a reform of the public health services will be of material service in this direction. I have here a long list dealing with the different child welfare agencies that are recouped under the grant, but I think it would not be necessary to go into them here.
