Skip to main content
Normal View

Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 3 Jul 1929

Vol. 31 No. 1

In Committee on Finance. - Vote No. 9—Temporary Commissions.

I move:—

Go ndeontar suim ná raghaidh thar £7,288 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, 1930, chun Tuarastail agus Costaisí eile Coimisiún Sealadach, Coistí agus Fiosrúchán Speisialta.

That a sum not exceeding £7,288 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, 1930, for the Salaries and other Expenses of Temporary Commissions, Committees, and Special Inquiries.

I want to know what those Committees are doing for this money, what reports we have had from them, and when they reported last. There are several Committees there. I do not know whether they are working or not. They are apparently getting money somewhere. I think at least the Minister should give us some information before he asks money for them.

I think that a very sound proposition of Deputy Corry, that the Minister who has proposed this Estimate should justify the items in it and let us know what business exactly these Committees are concerned with. For instance, with regard to the Economic Committee, I do not know whether there are any sittings at the moment. I think the President did suggest to the House that he would call it together again. There is another Committee which does not appear on this Vote but on the Vote for last year, the Committee on the Relief of Unemployment.

That does not arise at all as it does not appear.

Yes, but that is why we would object, as it does not appear.

The Deputy cannot argue that.

I would like to criticise this Vote not only from the point of view of the Commissions but of the omissions, which I think are more important.

Omissions do not arise ex hypothesi.

That is rather regrettable, because we had a word to-day about that particular emanation from the brain of the Minister for Industry and Commerce. That committee, which apparently had not been quite moribund, has been moribund at any rate since the famous North City Dublin Election. Of course we are not entitled to refer to that. I have nothing more to say, except that I hope the President will be able to tell us when the Economic Committee is to meet again, and also possibly to justify the continuance of the Central Saving Committee. There is a considerable sum of money being expended upon that particular activity. I should like the Minister for Finance to justify that to the House, to show whether the committee has really been productive of results. I am inclined to think that if everything that we have been told about the growing credit of the State is true, that whatever moneys have been invested in savings certificates would have been invested independent of any action which this Committee have taken. Before we could allow this Vote to pass unchallenged, we should have from the Minister for Finance some justification, at any rate, for the expenditure under sub-head B.

Could the Minister say when the Port and Harbours Tribunal is likely to finish its investigations, and when its Report may be expected?

There is no money for that on this Vote.

Is the Minister for Finance not going to give any answers to the questions that have been put to him?

I think they were merely rhetorical.

Then let us have a rhetorical answer.

Vote put and agreed to.
Top
Share