I move:—
Go ndeontar suim Bhreise ná raghaidh thar £16,000 chun íoctha an Mhuirir a thiocfaidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31adh lá de Mhárta, 1937, chun Iocaíochtaí bhaineann le Seirbhísí Iompair agus Meteoraíochta.
That a Supplementary sum not exceeding £16,000 be granted to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending 31st March, 1937, for Payments connected with Transport and Meteorological Services.
Deputies will notice that there are two items in the Supplementary Estimate —Civil Airport, £10,000 and Meteorological Services, £6,000. With regard to the civil airport, it is being established primarily in connection with the transatlantic service, but I should like to take the opportunity to make it clear, as it has been mentioned elsewhere and, I think, in this House previously, that it is the intention of the Government to develop civil aviation in this country and to take the fullest advantage of our geographical situation. It is our intention, when the proper time comes, to take suitable steps for the establishment of an air service connecting various suitable points in other countries with the airport we are now proposing to establish in connection with this scheme for a transatlantic air service. In my statement to the Dáil on the transatlantic air service, I stated that each of the four Governments concerned in the arrangements made for the operation of the service had undertaken to provide the airport necessary in their own territory for the service, and, also, that the Saorstát airport, with adequate radio and meteorological equipment, would provide all the necessary facilities for flying boats and land machines and would be constructed, owned and controlled by the Saorstát Government. A survey of the proposed site has been completed and has shown it to be suitable for the construction of first-class airport. It is necessary that arrangements should be made at once to acquire the necessary land in order that some preliminary drainage work can be done on the site before the end of the summer season. As large an area of land as possible will be acquired by agreement but, in the event of failure to agree, the powers of compulsory acquisition, provided in the Air Navigation and Transport Bill, will be used. It is expected that the work of acquisition will not be completed in this financial year as the preliminary investigation and legal formalities will take some time, and the sum of £10,000 is expected to cover the outlay under this head before the end of March next.
