The most remarkable thing in connection with this Vote is the fact that it shows a reduction of £18,036 on the previous year. That, I think, is an indication of the efficiency with which this Department is run. There has, in fact, been a continual reduction in this Vote since the year 1924-25. The Estimate for the year 1924-25 was £187,029; in 1925-26 it was £170,385; in 1926-27 it was £155,325, and this year it is £137,289, showing over that period a reduction of about £50,000, which is very considerable and which reflects credit on the way in which the Department has been conducted during that time. The other point to which I may call attention is the fact that the Department made a great effort to encourage Irish manufacture, and it has been very successful in that effort. For a long time the Department availed, to a great extent, of the products of the Saggart mills, but unfortunately these mills are now closed and there is no alternative source of supply. At present it is impossible to purchase Irish paper with the exception of brown wrapping paper, satisfactory supplies of which at favourable prices have recently been procured from home sources.
It is hoped in the near future that the Saggart mills will again be opened and the Department will avail to the fullest extent of their products. Meanwhile, the Department has availed to a very great extent of supplies of other kinds of stationery materials and every avenue for the development of Irish stationery is being explored.
This Department at present obtains exclusively from Irish manufacturers its total supplies of: Writing and fountain pen inks; leather goods such as gusset bags, attaché cases, etc.; gum and office paste (with the exception of small supplies of specialised articles such as glucine); cords and twine for wrapping purposes; rubber stamps; ink-stands—wooden; ink baskets; wooden rulers; metal filing boxes; metal cash boxes; metal deed boxes; metal damping tins; pocket diaries; wood and cord folio boxes; canvas bags; and metal seals.
The expenditure in Ireland in printing and binding and envelopes amounted to £88,631 in 1926-27. It is important to note that £58,577 of this amount represents the estimated payment to those actually employed such as printers, bookbinders, and so forth. I thought it well to call attention to this fact, as I think it is not generally known that we are availing of Irish manufactured articles to such a large extent in this Department.