Dáil Éireann debate -
Friday, 15 Jun 1934

Vol. 53 No. 4

Vote 9.—Commissions and Special Inquiries.

Minister for Finance (Mr. MacEntee)

I move:—

Go ndeontar suim ná raghaidh thar £7,602 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, 1935, chun Tuarastail agus Costaisí eile Coimisiún, Coistí agus Fiosrúchán Speisialta.

That a sum not exceeding £7,602 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, 1935, for the Salaries and other Expenses of Commissions, Committees, and Special Inquiries.

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

There is an increase here of £2,435 over a previous figure of £9,067, all of which is expenditure for work done.

Mr. MacDermot

Surely we are entitled to hear some account of the work that has been done by such interesting organisations as, for instance, the Commission of Inquiry into the Civil Service and the Irish Manuscripts Commission.

Mr. Flinn

Does the Deputy want me to read out the details of all these commissions and inquiries?

Mr. MacDermot

I suggest that we should hear something about it.

Mr. Flinn

As a matter of fact, I have a long statement here, but I hardly think the Deputy expects me to read out the whole statement.

Mr. MacDermot

I do not ask for anything very extended or detailed, but I think that the Parliamentary Secretary should pay the House the compliment of giving us some résumé of the various headings.

Mr. Flinn

Very well. Altogether there are the Central Savings Committee, the Civil Service (Compensation) Board, the Irish Manuscripts Commission, the Commission of Inquiry into the Civil Service, the Commission of Inquiry into Registration of Shops, and the Commission of Inquiry into Widows' and Orphans' Pensions. Those are the commissions with which this money has been particularly concerned. We will take the Central Savings Committee as an example. This committee was established in 1924 and has undertaken the organisation of a voluntary thrift movement in the Saorstát, and is entrusted with the direction of advertising and general publicity in connection with Savings Certificates. It is a voluntary and non-political body and its membership is mainly composed of Dublin residents, but there are 11 members from the provinces. The committee in the main enlists the assistance of voluntary workers, but the expenses of the office staff and of the State savings officers, as well as advertising and travelling expenses, etc., are paid out of public funds.

I think the Deputy is aware of the general functions of these Savings Certificates. I can give him particulars of the First, Second and Third Issues of Certificates, but I do not think he will want me to go into that. If he likes, I can give him the actual amount of each of the Issues of Certificates of different denominations which were sold, but I rather suggest that this is not the time to give these particulars.

Mr. MacDermot

I would not suggest that this is an appropriate moment for that.

Mr. Flinn

I shall be happy to let the Deputy read this whole statement if he thinks it will give him valuable information. If there are any other of these committees about which the Deputy would like to be informed, I shall be happy to supply the information.

Mr. MacDermot

Yes, I should like to hear about the Irish Manuscripts Commission.

Mr. Flinn

The Deputy will pardon me having to delay a moment. Technically, of course, the Deputy will be aware that I know all these things and have them off by heart. I know that I am giving the game away by showing that it is not so. The Irish Manuscripts Commission was appointed by Warrant of the Executive Council dated 10th October, 1928. A résumé of the terms of reference is given in the footnote in Part III of the Estimate under sub-head (D). The terms of reference of the Commission are as follows:—

To report on the nature, extent and importance of collections of manuscripts and papers of literary, historical and general interest relating to Ireland, and on the places on which such manuscripts and papers are deposited, and to advise as to the steps which should be taken for the preservation and publication of such manuscripts and papers, whether in public collections or private ownership and for the collection of any such manuscripts and papers as may be in danger of being lost or obliterated; (2) to prepare, after such consultation with University authorities and other learned bodies, as the Commission may deem desirable, and submit from time to time for approval to the Minister for Education, and, subject to such approval, to arrange for and supervise the execution of programmes of work to be undertaken in (a) the preparing and publication of calendars and catalogues of such manuscripts and papers; (b) the editing and publication of hitherto unpublished texts in old Irish, middle Irish and modern (other than contemporary) Irish, and of hitherto unpublished manuscripts relating to Ireland, due regard being had to their relative linguistic, literary and historical importance——

Mr. MacDermot

If I may interrupt the Parliamentary Secretary, I should like to point out that we all know what the job of the Irish Manuscripts Commission is. What I wanted to ascertain was whether there was any outstanding feature of interest in the work they have accomplished.

Mr. Flinn

It is largely routine work. There is nothing sensational in it. I can give the Deputy particulars of the work that is proceeding, but I think the Deputy would rather read the list. I should rather he did read it. As regards the other Commissions, the Commission into the registration of shops is going on. The inquiry into widows' and orphans' pensions is also proceeding. The Commission dealing with the reorganisation of the Civil Service is still stitting and laboriously working.

Mr. McMenamin

With regard to translations, is any progress being made with regard to the New Testament?

An Ceann Comhairle

These Commissions are working for different Departments. This particular Commission is working for the Department of Education. Its method of working may not be discussed now, though the Deputy would be in order in asking if certain things were done. The Minister really responsible for the work of this Commission is the Minister for Education.

Mr. Flinn

If the Deputy wants to know something about it, I shall look into it for him, but it does not arise on this Estimate.

Mr. Dockrell

The Parliamentary Secretary said that the Committee of Inquiry into the registration of shops was still going on. I thought that that was finished. I should like to know when the Parliamentary Secretary expects a report from that Committee. I do not see any item down in respect of the Prices Commission. Does that Commission come under any other heading?

An Ceann Comhairle

It comes under the Vote for Industry and Commerce.

Mr. MacEntee

It was established under a special Act of the Oireachtas.

Mr. Flinn

As regards the Committee of Inquiry into the registration of shops, the Deputy is quite right and I was wrong, as he usually is.

Vote put and agreed to.