I move:—
Go ndeontar suim breise, ná raghaidh thar £10, chun íoctha an Mhuirir a thiocfaidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31adh lá de Mhárta, 1942, chun Tuarastail agus Costaisí na Muir-Sheirbhíse (Achtanna Loingis Cheannaíochta, 1894 go 1939, agus an tAcht Imeall Trágha, 1933 (Uimh. 12 de 1933)); chun íocaíocht áirithe Cúitimh, ar an n-áirmhítear págh breise do mhairnéalaigh agus costas cóireála leighis; agus chun Deontaisí chun Fearas Cosanta áirithe do Longa do chur ar fáil.
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, 1942, for the Salaries and Expenses of the Marine Service (Merchant Shipping Acts, 1894 to 1939, and the Foreshore Act, 1933 (No. 12 of 1933)); for certain payments of Compensation, including extra wages of seamen and the cost of medical treatment; and for Grants in respect of the provision of certain Protective Equipment for Ships.
It will be noted that under some of the sub-heads a rather considerable increase in expenditure is anticipated. The most notable of these is sub-head F, which provides for services in connection with wreck and salvage. Provision is made each year to enable receivers of wreck to incur expenses and pay salvage on wreck. Property of this nature is handed over to owners or under-writers who prove a claim to it within a year, on payment of salvage and expenses. Unclaimed property is sold for the benefit of the State. Before the war it was found that an annual provision of £100 was adequate under this sub-head, but the war has resulted in considerable quantities of wreck being washed up or brought ashore, with the result that the figure of £100 has been multiplied many times. The amount provided in the main Estimate for 1941-42 was £2,000, based on the previous year's experience, but this has proved inadequate. Wreck came in in larger quantities than anticipated, realised higher prices, and involved greater payments for salvage. The expenditure to the end of November last was £4,164. Deputies will appreciate that it is not possible to have a dependable estimate of the total amount necessary in the financial year. It is proposed to provide an additional sum of £5,000 in this Supplementary Estimate.
The other sub-heads that require special mention are sub-heads I (4) and J. Sub-head I (4) relates to allowances in respect of detention abroad. This is one of the heads of the war compensation liability undertaken by the Government in 1939 in order to provide benefit equal to that given by the British Government for the crews of British ships. The amount provided in the main Estimate was £200, but this has not proved adequate and a further £150 will probably be necessary. This involves a total of £350 to provide allowances for dependents of three members of the crew of the s.s. "Luimneach" who are not Irish nationals, and are under detention in occupied France.
Sub-head J provides for grants in respect of the equipment of ships for protection against magnetic mines. The cost of protecting Irish ships against magnetic mines is another liability which has been undertaken by the Government. The amount provided in the main Estimate was £7,800, but as none of the provision made in the previous year was expended, as the examination of claims was not completed, there is a carry over from that year which was not foreseen when the Estimates were prepared. This carry over has swollen the anticipated expenditure for 1941-42, and an additional £5,000 is, therefore, provided, making an estimated total of £12,800 for the whole year. The total amount of the Supplementary Estimate, however, is only £10.
The total Appropriations-in-Aid provided in the main Estimate were £5,621, but the receipts from wreck have greatly exceeded the expectation. The estimated receipts were £5,621, and the total appropriations are now put at £18,621, that is, a surplus of £13,000. The excess receipts have been appropriated only to the extent, of £8,990, required to offset excess expenditure under the charge sub-heads, leaving a total of £10 to be voted.
