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 Oifig an Aire Riaghaltais Aiteamhail agus Sláinte Poiblidhe, agus seirbhísí áirithe atá fé riaradh na hOifige sin, ar a n-áirmhítear Deontaisí agus Costaisí eile i dtaobh Tógáil Tithe, Deontaisí d'Udaráis áitiúla, Ildeontaisí Ilghnéitheacha agus Ildeontaisí-i-gCabhair, agus muirearacha áirithe mar gheall ar Ospidéil.
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 the Salaries and Expenses of the Office of the Minister for Local Government and Public Health, and of certain services administered by that Office, including Grants and other Expenses in connection with Housing, Grants to Local Authorities, sundry Miscellaneous Grants and Grants-in-Aid, and certain charges connected with Hospitals.
This Vote arises from representations made by the residents of the Aran Islands. Owing to the excessive heat last summer, the potatoes got burned and softened and only half the crop of potatoes which would be suitable for table use was obtained. On these representations being made, the matter was investigated by inspectors of the Department of Agriculture and inspectors of my Department and the statements made by the residents were borne out. The Department of Agriculture are in a position to supply seed potatoes at something like 2/- per cwt., but this Vote is necessary in order to enable them to supply something like 170 tons of table potatoes at 2/- per cwt., that is, on the same conditions as the Department of Agriculture supply seed potatoes.
The purchase of the potatoes would cost, I think, about £6 per ton in Galway, and the islanders would pay at the rate of £2 per ton. On the report that we received from the inspectors, and on the representations made by the residents, the supplies of table potatoes would have been exhausted at the end of February. It was to meet that that the Minister for Finance allowed us to provide for a sum of roughly £750.
