Deputies in dealing with this Supplementary Estimate should see that they have the correct supplementary estimate before them. The Supplementary Estimate previously issued has been withdrawn and the present one circulated. The amount of the present Supplementary Estimate is £52,150. From that has to be subtracted savings on other Sub-heads, amounting to £27,150, leaving a net sum of £25,000. The details of the Supplementary Estimate as given on the white paper issued are: A— Salaries and Allowances. The amount required for A 2—Metropolitan Offices, is £10,750, and under A 3, Provincial Offices, the sum required is £39,400. These two sums give a total of £50,150. The footnote to the Sub-heads states that these amounts represent, in the main, provision for the restoration of rural services not included in the original Estimate. Deputies will remember that in the Estimate circulated last year provision was made to effect certain restrictions in the rural postal services but it was afterwards found inadvisable to carry out the proposals therein outlined. Consequently this additional Estimate is now necessary. Deputies will re-remember that if the restrictions in the rural postal services outlined at that time were put into effect, it was estimated that there would be a saving of approximately £40,000. Deputies may want to know why the amount now asked for under that heading is £50,000. The reason, I think, will be obvious, under Sub-head A 2—Metropolitan Offices. There could have been a great deal of saving on account of restrictions effected in connection with rural postal services. As a matter of fact, there is something over £1,000 in that particular item. In regard to savings on the rural postal services, the actual amount is £1,750. The balance is made up of sums required to meet certain payments of salary to postal officials who, it is expected, will be leaving the service under Article 10 of the Treaty.
With regard to Sub-head A 3— Provincial Offices, the amount indicated in the sub-head is approximately the amount of the savings which would be effected in the event of the restrictions relating to rural postal services being carried out. With regard to Sub-head D—Purchase of Sites, etc., as is indicated in the footnote, provision is now made for the purchase of a site for the Rathmines post office. The amount asked for is £2,000. I think Deputies will agree that a site for the Rathmines post office and for a telephone exchange for that area is very urgently needed. With regard to Sub-head N, the amount asked for is £3,500. N 5 of the sub-head deals with agency payments in respect of compensation allowances. As the footnote explains, that is to make provision for the payment of expenses incurred by this Government in regard to certain work carried out under Article 10 of the Treaty. As Deputies will see on the other side of the White Paper, the amount dealt with here is offset in full by an appropriation-in-aid of £3,500. That accounts for the various items in the Vote.
