Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 15 Mar 1932

Vol. 41 No. 2

Vote No. 11—Public Works and Buildings.

Mr. MacEntee

I move:—

Go ndeontar suim bhreise ná raghaid thar £10 chun íoctha an Mhuirir a thiocfaidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31adh lá de Mhárta, 1932, chun caiteachais i dtaobh Foirgintí Puiblí; chun coinneáil-suas Páirceanna agus Oibreacha Puiblí áirithe; chun déanamh agus coinneail-suas Oibreacha Dróineála; agus chun Ildeontaisí i gCabhair.

That a supplementary sum not exceeding £10 be granted to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1932, for expenditure in respect of Public Buildings; for the maintenance of certain Parks and Public Works; for the execution and maintenance of Drainage Works; and sundry Grants-in-Aid.

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance (Mr. Hugo Flinn)

The facts in this case are very simple. We have here a Supplementary Estimate of £10 which is made up of £500 less £490 saving on other subheads. £500 is part of the sum of £1,000, £500 of which comes in this year and £500 next year. The Government arranged to let to the Irish Tourist Development Association premises in Upper O'Connell Street this year. Certain costs were incurred in reorganising those premises for the purposes of offices, and the amount involved was the sum of £2,000. The Government agreed to pay a sum of £1,000 of that £2,000, and the Tourist Development Association paid the balance. To that extent this Estimate represents a new subsidy to the Tourist Development Association of a capital sum of £1,000. In addition to that, in letting these premises the Government let them at a rent on a yearly tenancy of £350. The economic rent of these premises has been estimated to be between £550 and £650 a year, so that though we are passing a Supplementary Estimate here for £10 it is only right that the House should clearly understand that in so doing they are passing an extra capital subsidy which was made by the last Government of £1,000 to the Tourist Development Association, plus the annual subsidy represented by the difference between the economic rent and the rent which the Government is charging the Irish Development Association for these premises.

Vote agreed to.