I move:—
Go ndeontar suim ná raghaidh thar £50,000 chun íoctha an Mhuirir a thiocfaidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31adh Márta, 1942, chun Cúiteamh agus Iocaíochta eile maidir le Díobhála do Mhaoin de dheascaibh aer-árthach coigríche do leigean pléascán anuas agus teagmhas eile dá samhail sin tráth ná beidh an Stát páirteach i gcogadh.
That a sum not exceeding £50,000 be granted to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending 31st March, 1942, for Compensation and other Payments in connection with Injuries to Property due to the dropping of bombs by foreign aircraft and kindred incidents while the State is not engaged in war.
This Vote is required to meet expenditure during the current year under the Neutrality (War Damage to Property) Bill. Section 13 of the Bill, which is the main expenses section, provides for the payment out of voted monies of the compensation and costs awarded by the Minister or the court and administration expenses. The other charges to be met out of the Vote arise under Sections 15, 18, 19 and 20 of the Bill. The expenditure covered by Section 15 is contingent on the recovery of compensation from an external government or authority, and would include payments to people who were awarded less under the Bill for injuries than the amounts recovered from abroad in respect of them, or who receive no compensation at all for one reason or another, such as not having applied in time, or because the injuries by their nature were excluded from compensation and who nevertheless prove that they suffered loss owing to the injuries. The expenditure under Section 18 and 19 represents payments to local authorities and Government departments respectively in recoupment of money spent by them on the repair of injured buildings, or by way of grants for clothes or furniture. Expenditure under Section 20 will arise where land comprising injured buildings is acquired by a district planning authority. In these cases the difference between the value of the land immediately before and after the injury is payable to the planning authority out of voted moneys, and no compensation is payable under the Bill in respect of the injury.
The £50,000 provided for in the Estimate is a tentative figure and it is not possible at this stage to say whether it will suffice or not to meet all the payments that fall to be made between now and the 31st March next as this will depend on how quickly claims are received and settled. Furthermore the inclusion of certain elements of consequential loss makes it difficult to forecast the amount which may be payable until we have some experience of the claims to be lodged.
As indicated in the notes on the face of the Estimate the expenditure out of the Vote will be offset to the extent of any compensation recovered from external Governments or authorities which will be brought to credit as Exchequer extra receipts. I am unable as yet to form any opinion as to the amount which may be recovered in this way.
