I move:—
Go ndeontar suim na raghaidh thar £45,388 chun slánuithe na suime is gá chun íoctha an Mhuirir a thiocfidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31adh lá de Mhárta, 1928, chun Costaisí Coir-Phróiseacht agus Dlí-Mhuirireacha eile, maraon le Deontas i gcabhair do Chostaisí áirithe is iníoctha amach as Rátaí Aitiúla do réir Reachta.
That a sum not exceeding £45,388 be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1928, for the expenses of Criminal Prosecutions and other Law Charges, including a Grant in relief of certain Expenses payable by Statute out of Local Rates.
This Estimate, if we take out of account an Exchequer advance which was made last year in connection with the deposit which was required to be made in the matter of the American litigation, is very little changed. The increase in sub-head A is due to the increments of salary and the employment of an additional copying typist in the Parliamentary Draftsman's Office which was necessitated by the additional pressure of work. With regard to sub-head B, an assistant solicitor was appointed in the Treasury Solicitor's Office, and the number of clerical officers was increased from four to five. There is a reduction in the amounts for clerical assistance. The Chief State Solicitor's Office is concerned mainly with the question of prosecutions. The Treasury's Solicitor's Office does the work which arises out of the activities of the Commissioners of Public Works, the investigation of titles and the preparation of deeds charges and so forth in reference to land improvement and other loans and in the recovery of arrears. He does the legal work involved in awards under the Drainage Act and the legal work arising out of the provision of accommodation and the acquisition of premises for the Gárda Síochána. He also does the work which arises in connection with the Valuation Office and the Quit Rent Office. What I have said indicates roughly the line of division between the legal work that exists between the Chief State Solicitor's Office and the Treasury Solicitor's Office. There is a reduction in the provision for Under-Sheriffs owing to vacancies arising in the Office of Under-Sheriff in Wexford, Offaly and Waterford not having been filled. The duty of these offices will be discharged by the County Registrars in accordance with the provision of the Court Officers Act of 1926.
The provision for the expenses of prosecutors and witnesses is down. The provision in this sub-head is mainly for recoupment to county and county borough councils in respect of expenses of prosecutors and witnesses at the Circuit Court and Central Criminal Court in cases of felony, which are a statutory charge on the local rates. The provision here is more than the normal provision and includes a substantial element of arrears which have not been discharged. The fact that these arrears exist is largely due to claims not having been made by the local authorities in proper time. It is anticipated the normal amount instead of being £10,000 will be between £5,000 and £6,000 a year. Included in the total figure of £11,500 there are other small items, such as the payment of subsistence allowances to witnesses in criminal cases in the District Courts and the calling in of medical practitioners in what the Gárda Síochána believe to be cases that may prove to be criminal cases, and payments to architects and engineers and other experts for the preparation of maps, plans, and models, and for giving expert evidence in connection with prosecutions.
