Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 19 Apr 1939

Vol. 75 No. 5

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

Minister for Education (Mr. Derrig)

I move:—

Go ndeontar suim ná raghaidh thar £8,110 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, 1940, chun Tuarastail agus Costaisí eile Coimisiún, Coistí agus Fiosrúchán Speisialta.

That a sum not exceeding £8,110 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, 1940, for the Salaries and other Expenses of Commissions, Committees, and Special Inquiries.

Professor O'Sullivan

Perhaps the Minister might give us some idea as to when we may expect the report from the Transport Tribunal and from the Drainage Commission?

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

It is not possible to state when the report of the Transport Tribunal will be issued, but it will be at the very earliest possible date. The House may take it that every possible effort is being made to see that at the earliest possible date the report will be available.

Professor O'Sullivan

Was there not an idea that an interim report was to be issued last February?

Mr. Hughes

Not an interim report. We were told the final report would be issued in February.

Mr. Flinn

I think the Deputy is referring to the tribunal that is dealing with the question of railways at the present moment.

Professor O'Sullivan

Yes.

Mr. Flinn

There was an intention, if possible, to give an interim report in February, but that was an optimistic estimate. I may inform the Deputy that every effort is being made to expedite the report, but as a matter of fact, this is a huge job. I expect that it is only when you actually get down to the amount of material concerned in the matter that you can realise what a huge job it is.

Professor O'Sullivan

Everybody knew that it was a huge job, and nobody in his senses could think otherwise. What the Minister had in his mind when he promised an official report by the middle of February I do not know. Perhaps the Parliamentary Secretary would explain. This is one of the most difficult jobs the Government has had to face. The consideration of problems to be faced is complex and exceedingly difficult. How a Minister with any sense of responsibility would expect a report, or what kind of a report he expected—if he did expect a report of any judicial type— is a question that I cannot understand. I also asked about this Drainage Commission report.

Mr. Flinn

Again it is not possible in that matter to issue a report. There has been already an interim report recommending certain machinery in the matter of the provision of gauges and machinery for checking them so as to enable the effective rainfall and discharge of the significant rivers to be obtained. The commission itself is being pressed very hard. As the Deputy knows if I were to give him an estimate now it might turn out to be optimistic. All I can say is that every effort is being made to see that these reports will not be any longer delayed than the commission and the tribunal can possibly help.

Professor O'Sullivan

As regards the type of evidence given at this tribunal and commission, I do not know exactly what it is. I wonder if it is the business of the Drainage Commission to consider in its evidence details of ordinary schemes? I rather think that its business would be to consider the urgency of the problems to which the schemes will give rise. Apart from the details there are a number of big problems. These would have to be met and faced independent of the details of any scheme from the engineering point of view. I do not think the engineering details of any scheme should be a matter of question as to how they may be financed or as to whether they can be economic. All that will have to be faced. I doubt if the commission should take detailed evidence.

Mr. Flinn

I may be able to help the Deputy in that matter. The Deputy is right in the lines he suggests. Every individual scheme, in so far as it represents the general problem, would be a matter for investigation. Also some detailed difficulties have arisen in individual cases—that is as to whether they did or did not come within a particular list. Individual schemes with their engineering and financial conditions are being examined in relation to the whole, but the purpose of the commission is to proceed on a general broad scheme.

Mr. Hurley

Would the Parliamentary Secretary say with regard to the Transport Tribunal, if the taking of evidence has yet been completed by that tribunal? I have not seen any report yet. Has the taking of evidence yet been completed?

Mr. Flinn

Not yet.

Vote put and agreed to.