Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 20 Feb 1941

Vol. 81 No. 14

Committee on Finance. - Vote 59—Unemployment Insurance and Unemployment Assistance.

Minister for Industry and Commerce (Mr. MacEntee)

I move:—

Go ndeontar suim Bhreise ná raghaidh thar £10 chun íoctha an Mhuirir a thiocfaidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31adh lá de Mhárta, 1941, chun Tuarastail agus Costaisí i dtaobh Arachais Díomhaointis agus Malartán Fostaíochta (ar a n-áirmhítear Síntiúisí do Chiste an Díomhaointis) agus i dtaobh Conganta Dhíomhaointis (9 Edw. 7, c. 7; 10 & 11 Geo. 5, c. 30; 11 Geo. 5, c. 1; 11 & 12 Geo. 5, c. 15; 12 Geo. 5, c. 7; Uimh. 17 de 1923; Uimh. 26 agus Uimh. 59 de 1924; Uimh. 21 de 1926; Uimh. 33 de 1930; Uimh. 44 agus Uimh. 46 de 1933; Uimh. 38 de 1935; Uimh. 2 de 1938; agus Uimh. 4 de 1940).

That a Supplementary sum not exceeding £10 be granted to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending 31st March, 1941, for Salaries and Expenses in connection with Unemployment Insurance and Employment Exchanges (including Contributions to the Unemployment Fund) and Unemployment Assistance (9 Edw. 7, c. 7; 10 & 11 Geo. 5, c. 30; 11 Geo. 5, c. 1; 11 & 12 Geo. 5, c. 15; 12 Geo. 5, c. 7; No. 17 of 1923; Nos. 26 and 59 of 1924; No. 21 of 1926; No. 33 of 1930; Nos. 44 and 46 of 1933; No. 38 of 1935; No. 2 of 1938; and No. 4 of 1940).

This Supplementary Estimate is required in connection with this Vote merely for the purpose of bringing within the ambit of Vote 59 expenditure incurred under Sections 6 and 7 of the Unemployment Assistance (Amendment) Act, 1940. This Act became law on the 20th March, 1940, too late for inclusion among the Acts cited in the 1940-41 Estimates.

Mr. Dillon

Is the subject-matter of this Estimate as restricted as it appears to be?

Mr. MacEntee

Quite so—absolutely.

An Ceann Comhairle

The Chair accepts the Minister's statement that such is the case.

General Mulcahy

Is it to correct drafting in the original Estimate?

Mr. MacEntee

No, it is not.

General Mulcahy

I understood that from the Minister's remark.

Mr. MacEntee

The Deputy did not understand anything of the sort.

General Mulcahy

Will the Minister allow me to assure him, and will the Minister read the first part of his memorandum, where it is stated:—

"The Unemployment Assistance (Amendment) Act, 1940, which became law only on the 20th March, 1940, was not included among the Acts cited in the 1940-41 Estimates for Unemployment Insurance and Unemployment Assistance to show the purposes for which...?

Mr. MacEntee

Certainly.

General Mulcahy

Is it simply to correct the drafting of the original Estimate?

Mr. MacEntee

That is not what the Deputy said, I think.

General Mulcahy

The Minister can think anything he likes, and he can get as excited as he likes.

Mr. MacEntee

The Deputy asked a very simple question—was this Estimate introduced to correct a mistake in the original Estimate?

General Mulcahy

That is what I asked.

Mr. MacEntee

The Deputy has been a member of two previous administrations and he knows as well as I do that financial procedure does not permit an Estimate to provide for expenditure under a statute which has not been passed by the House. The main volume of Estimates for the year 1940-41 was introduced and I think a Vote on Account had been taken before the Unemployment Assistance (Amendment) Act, 1940, became law. Accordingly, any expenditure to be incurred under that Act could not have been brought within the original Estimate.

General Mulcahy

The Minister has now cooled down.

Mr. Dillon

I do not know whether the additional money provided under this Estimate meets the requirements of the situation, and I do not know whether it is within the power of Oireachtas Eireann to find the money requisite to meet the situation that exists; but in all seriousness I want to put a point to the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Industry and Commerce. If we cannot find money to provide unemployed persons with an allowance under these several Acts sufficient to keep body and soul together, there is a duty upon us in some way or another to get to those families the essential food that will enable them to carry on. Is that outside?

An Ceann Comhairle

Obviously so.

Mr. Dillon

Very well, I shall return to it on another day.

An Ceann Comhairle

I want the House to realise—other Deputies might be under a similar misconception—that on a Supplementary Estimate, and particularly when it is merely a token Vote of £10, the debate is confined to the items in the Estimate. General administration is not discussed. In this case the sum is required for a specific purpose and that purpose fixes the scope of the discussion.

Mr. Dillon

My purpose was to suggest the subsidisation of certain essential foodstuffs.

An Ceann Comhairle

Certainly not on this Estimate.

Mr. Dillon

I shall leave it over to another day.

Vote agreed to.

Vote reported and agreed to.