asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the amounts payable in salaries, wages and expenses, including bonus to members of his staff, on loan with or working in connection with the Electricity Supply Board, the Shannon Power Development Scheme, or any work incidental to or arising out of the scheme, for each of the years 1924-25 up to and including the amount estimated for the service for the year 1930-31.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Staff Loan to Shannon Scheme.
The amounts paid as salaries, bonus and expenses to officers of my Department loaned for work on the Shannon Power Development in the years mentioned are as follow:—1924-25, nil; 1925-26, £287; 1926-27, £1,700; 1927-28, £2,830; 1928-29, £2,741; 1929-30, £3,561. In 1930-31 it is estimated that the amount will be £1,350. No officers of my Department have been lent to the Electricity Supply Board.
Am I to take it that the figures given by the Minister cover all expenses incidental to and arising out of the Shannon Scheme proper? The Minister will recollect that in speaking to the amendment of the Shannon Electricity Supply Bill he mentioned the figure of £150,000.
They are not officers of my Department.
Are they officers in cluded in other Departments?
No. They in clude people specially recruited for the Shannon Power Development Scheme.
That figure of £150,000 would not be charged to the Shannon Scheme proper but would be put on the ordinary Estimates of this House?
Not at all.
These are the only figures that will be charged?
These will not be charged. The Deputy obviously has not understood my speeches on this matter. I said that certain officers of mine had been loaned to the Shannon Power D e v e l o p m e n t Scheme and their expenses come out of the Shannon Power Development Fund and will be repaid by the consumers of electricity. In so far as these people are loaned, their salaries will be repaid by the Shannon Power Development Scheme and will be charged to the consumers. No fraction of this comes on the Vote.