Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 29 Apr 1937

Vol. 66 No. 14

Committee on Finance. - Vote 6—Office of the Revenue Commissioners.

Minister for Finance (Mr. MacEntee)

I move:—

Go ndeontar suim ná raghaidh thar £540,083 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, 1938, chun Tuarastail agus Costaisí Oifig na gCoimisinéirí Ioncuim, maraon le Seirbhísí áirithe eile atá fé riaradh na hOifige sin.

That a sum not exceeding £540,083 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, 1938, for the Salaries and Expenses of the Office of the Revenue Commissioners, including certain other Services administered by that Office.

The total provision asked for for this Vote last year was £757,836. The total amount required for this year is £809,563, showing a net increase of £55,065, of which £52,042 is represented by an increase in salaries.

Dr. O'Higgins

Would the Minister give us a little more information on the last point he mentioned, namely, that we have got to face an increase of £52,000 for salaries in the particular Department of the Revenue Commissioners? A huge increase such as that in salaries alone must represent a vast increase in the number of persons employed in the Department.

Mr. MacEntee

I ought to have said "salaries, wages and allowances," because a large part of it comes under allowances.

Dr. O'Higgins

Would it be possible for the Minister to break up that sum so as to give the House an idea of how much is an increase in salaries, how much an increase in wages, and how much an increase in allowances, and an idea as to the number of persons by which the staff has been increased for this particular year and the reason for the vastly increased number of persons working in that Department?

Mr. MacEntee

Of the total increase of £52,000 odd, no less than £26,000 is due to the increased provision which must be made to cover the cost-of-living bonus as applied to the existing, and to the increased, staff. The actual number for which provision is made in this year is 2,574 officers of various grades as against 2,497 last year, representing a net increase of 79 in personnel. Apart altogether from the bonus, a new secretarial branch has been created which requires an increase in the basic provision of £6,700. Owing to the increase in the work cast upon the Commissioners by the Widows' and Orphans' Pensions Act and their investigations under the Unemployment Assistance Act, the investigation staff has also been increased and the increase accounts for £8,500 of the aggregate total. Then, there is special remuneration granted for work in connection with the Widows' and Orphans' Pensions Act and the Unemployment Assistance Act and other matters which account for £4,500. I think that gives the Deputy all the details he has asked for.

Vote put and agreed to.