Deputy Hurley asked last night for the number of schools completed in the rural districts. The total number of schools completed last year was 36, of which 31 were in the rural areas. There were then left 49 schools in course of completion, of which 38 were in the rural areas. Deputy Dockrell inquired with reference to a new building. There is no new building being erected in the Castle. There is in progress the adaptation of an old building which, I think, will remove the difficulty that the Deputy had in mind.
Committee on Finance. - Votes 10 and 11—Office of Public Works and Public Works and Buildings (Resumed).
It will not alter Deputy Benson's point, which I was illustrating.
I shall deal with Deputy Benson's point in a moment. Deputy Hickey wants to know the total expenditure to date on the aerodromes, including the expenditure on the aerodrome itself, the staff, the radio equipment and the purchase of land. The total expenditure in Rineanna up to the present has been £256,000. The total expenditure in Collinstown is £146,000.
Might I ask what portion of this expenditure, if any, has been met from local sources?
None up to the present.
Is it the intention to have some of the final expenditure met from local sources?
So far as Rineanna is concerned, that is to be completely built by the State. The proportion of local expenditure in Collinstown is still a matter for negotiation. The intention is that there shall be a contribution.
Both from the corporation and from the County Dublin?
That is the intention. Deputy Benson raised the question of the effect of new Government offices upon the town planning scheme in Dublin. There is no information at the present moment available as to the new offices in Dublin, but it is fully understood that that is a matter which would be definitely of interest and importance to the corporation in the matter of town planning. When that information is available, it will be given to them.
Is it possible to give any indication as to whether there will be any development; and, if so, when?
It is not possible. If it were possible, I would give the information. I think the only other question which arises for the moment is the suggestion which has been fairly generally made that ad interim money should be spent out of the Employment Vote or otherwise on drainage between now and the time when the whole question of drainage will be dealt with by the commission. We have investigated certain cases which have been put up to us along that line and in no case that has come before us could we decide that it would be right to do so. Take the particular cases that were alluded to last night. There was one case in relation to the Brick and Cashin, which is a £200,000 scheme. The total amount of money which would be available out of the Employment or any other Vote for that particular district would be so small compared to the total that it would not be even wise to think about it, quite apart from the question of whether any money should be expended on that scheme until the general question of finance and administration and new legislation, as it may happen, will be decided. I am alluding to this simply to remove from anybody's mind the hope that one may have in relation to particular schemes that anything of an ad interim character of that kind will be done. We have not come across a single case in which that activity would be justifiable, and in most of the cases it would be quite the opposite to justifiable.
Deputy Morrissey raised the question of the discrepancy between the money which is estimated and the small amount which is actually put down in a particular year. There are all sorts of circumstances to be considered and they are of a very varied character. I took out two or three instances and in every case they were practically sui generis, if I may use the term. There did not seem to be any general principle between them. The estimates are made out at least four months before they appear in the book and, before anything can be undertaken, a site may have to be acquired involving search, selection and investigation as to suitability and then discussion with the Department concerned as to occupation. Then you have negotiations as to purchasing terms and you must obtain the sanction of the Department of Finance for the sum involved. There is then the investigation of title which is, in itself, a tedious process. Preliminary plans have to be prepared and there are numerous discussions with the Department which is to occupy the premises. Sometimes many representations have to be made and many alternatives are considered before an agreement is reached as to the actual requirements. In some cases by the time agreement has been reached some other site or some other method of doing a particular job may come up. Then there is the detailed work of drawings and specifications and in many cases also bills of quantity have to be prepared before tenders are invited. A reasonable interval for tendering has to be allowed and when tenders are received they are not always quite satisfactory in price or in some other condition. An interval generally elapses before the contract is finally made and the contractor commences operations. In the case of the most important contracts the permission of the Board of Works has to be obtained before the tender is accepted and in more cases the Department of Finance is consulted. The rate of progress made by the contractor is subject to various factors, such as the difficulty of obtaining materials and unforeseen difficulties of many kinds. The Deputy has, I think, in mind particularly the big scheme just across the road.
Mr. Morrissey
Perhaps the Parliamentary Secretary would allow me to make a remark. Is there any useful purpose to be served by bringing Estimates before the House for a particular work in the absence of the information which the Parliamentary Secretary has now read out? That Estimate is of no use to the House or to anybody else in the absence of the information.
The Deputy will see that it would be quite impossible to put in the Estimate all the actual circumstances in relation to thousands of works.
Mr. Morrissey
I quite see that, but if the Parliamentary Secretary will allow me, what I cannot see is why this House should be asked to vote money for a particular work before the Board of Works has obtained information such as is set out now by the Parliamentary Secretary.
It is quite possible that a great deal of that information may be obtained between the time at which the Estimate is passed and the next year's Estimate. All I am concerned with is to make it clear that nothing is put in the Estimate for any purpose except to give the best information which we have.
Vote 10 and 11 put and agreed to.
While we are waiting for some Minister to move the next Vote, I should like to point out that it is customary for a Minister, in moving a Vote, to read a written statement. I wonder would it be too much to ask that a copy of such statement should be circulated to the House previous to the Estimate being introduced? Such a practice would make things very easy in discussing certain points. Of course, the statement might be used for the purpose of hiding a lot of things, to which we would like to draw attention, but I think it would facilitate the business of the House if these statements, which are generally type-written statements issued by the particular Department to which the Estimate refers, were circulated amongst members of the House. It would not cost very much money and it would facilitate public business very much.
The suggestion of the Deputy will have the fullest possible consideration.