In Committee on Finance. - Vote 9—Commissions and Special Inquiries. – Dáil Éireann (8th Dáil) – Tuesday, 4 Jul 1933

In Committee on Finance. - Vote 9—Commissions and Special Inquiries.

Mr. MacEntee

I beg to move:—

Go ndeontar suim ná raghaidh thar £5,967 chun slánuithe na suime is gá chun íoctha an Mhuirir a thiocfaidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31adh lá de Mhárta, 1934, chun Tuarastail agus Costaisí eile Coimisiún, Coistí agus Fiosrúchán Speisialta.

That a sum not exceeding £5,967 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, 1934, for the Salaries and other Expenses of Commissions, Committees, and Special Inquiries.

Mr. McGilligan

What is it all about?

Mr. MacEntee

If the Deputy will refer to the volume of Estimates he will see that it makes the necessary provision for the Central Savings Committee, the Civil Service (Compensation) Board, the Irish Manuscripts Commission, the Commission of Inquiry into Civil Service, the Commission of Inquiry into Registration of Shops and Committee of Inquiry into Widows' and Orphans' Pensions.

Mr. McGilligan

What are these about?

Mr. MacEntee

It seems to me that the nature of these Commissions is sufficiently indicated by their titles.

Mr. McGilligan

That explanation would hold for the whole book of Estimates and the Minister might never make a speech. Indeed, for all the information he gives, either at the beginning or the end, he might as well not. We can, however, proceed by inquisitorial methods to get information from him.

Mr. MacEntee

No, you cannot. The Minister is not going to allow himself to be cross-examined by the Deputy. The Deputy may make any speech he wishes.

Mr. McGilligan

We will find that out. The more the Minister loses his temper the more he will find himself answering our questions ultimately.

Mr. MacEntee

We shall see.

Mr. McGilligan

There is a Commission of Inquiry into Civil Service and there is a Committee of Inquiry into widows' and orphans' pensions. I have been looking at the Labour Benches to see how many Deputies there would rise in order to ask what has become of that Committee's report.

Mr. MacEntee

The Deputy has been so long absent from the House that he has, apparently, lost track.

Mr. McGilligan

It is quite appropriate to raise the matter here. This particular Committee was appointed in April, 1932, to inquire into and report as to a scheme of widows' and orphans' pensions and the probable cost of such a scheme. I suppose the Minister will give silence as his best answer if we ask where is the report of the Committee, where is the scheme, and where is the provision for the widows and orphans over whom the Minister used to mourn so much.

Mr. MacEntee

Might I remind the Deputy of an amendment accepted by his Government somewhere in 1929?

Mr. McGilligan

I do not like brawling from so well-behaved, or at least so well-brought-up a Minister as the Minister is. The Committee of Inquiry into Civil Service was appointed in June, 1932, to inquire into and report on the organisation of the Civil Service with special reference to the arrangements for ensuring efficiency in working; the general standard of remuneration of civil servants; the age of retirement from the service; and the methods by which arbitration can best be applied for the settlement of questions relating to pay and other conditions of service. The Minister told us on the "Cuts" Bill that he had four reports from four different Commissions set up to inquire into Civil Service matters. He has kept them all to himself. We have not got a hint of what the reports contain or what aid they give to the Minister in coming to conclusions.

I would like to recall his mind to the speech he made in 1929 to which I referred him to-day. In it he said he thought there should be big administrative economies and not "a mere skimming of the surface, taking only the scum of waste." His best efforts so far have not been productive of very great economies. Why can he not do something that will bring us in a million? I will remind him again of his election promises. In the advertisement which got him his position in the present Government there were various promises. "Here is what a Fianna Fáil Government can and will do for you." In relation particularly to the Civil Service we had a definite promise.

The Dáil adjourned at 10.30 p.m. until Wednesday, 5th July, at 3 p.m.

Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 4 Jul 1933