I move:—
Go ndeontar suim bhreise ná raghaidh thar £1,800 chun íoctha an Mhuirir a thiocfidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31adh Márta, 1928, chun Costaisí fén Representation of the People Act, 1918, fén Acht Timpeal Toghachán, 1923, agus fé Acht na gCoistí Dháréag (Leasú), 1924.
That a supplementary sum not exceeding £1,800 be granted to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending 31st March, 1928, for Expenses under the Representation of the People Act, 1918; the Electoral Act, 1923, and the Juries (Amendment) Act, 1924.
This sum of £1,800 which is being asked for, arises out of transactions which took place in the year 1921-22. As Deputies may be aware, the expenses of registration under the Representation of the People Act, 1918, are payable by the county councils in the first instance. These expenses include such matters as the expenses of secretaries or clerks to county or district councils, expenses of rate collectors, and printing and other expenses involved in the preparation of the register. One half of the expenses paid by the county councils was recouped out of voted moneys.
The accounts of the county councils were examined by the auditors for the Local Government Department and certified by them. During 1921 and 1922 a number of councils refused to pay registration expenses. In those cases the British Government deducted sums from the grants going to the local authorities and paid the expenses. Subsequently the local authorities in most cases refunded the money that had been paid, and on their doing so the recoupment grants became payable to them, but in the case of four councils—Galway, Kildare, Mayo, and Tipperary North Riding—the matter was not settled until a few months ago. These councils have now made payments of the amounts paid on their behalf, and, consequently, the sums due on recoupment became payable at once. The amounts payable to these counties are: Galway, £767 1s. 1d.; Kildare, £432 3s. 2d.; Mayo, £1,215 18s. 8d.; Tipperary North Riding, £369 5s. 4d.; the total amount being £2,784 8s. 3d. As full provision had not been made for this contingency in the original estimates, it is necessary now to take this additional sum of £1,800 in order that these amounts may be paid to the county councils concerned.
