I move:—
Go ndeontar suim breise, ná raghaidh thar £9,210, 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 an Ghárda Síochána, le n-a n-áirmhítear an Taca Síochána (Uimh. 7 de 1925, Uimh. 10 de 1926, Uimh. 5 de 1937, Uimh. 28 de 1939, agus Uimh. 19 de 1941); agus chun Costaisí áirithe de chuid na gCaomhnóirí Aitiúla, maraon le Deontaisí-i-gCabhair (Uimh. 28 de 1939).
That a supplementary sum, not exceeding £9,210, 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 Gárda Síochána, including the Taca Síochána (No. 7 of 1925, No. 10 of 1926, No. 5 of 1937, No. 28 of 1939, and No. 19 of 1941); and for certain Expenses of the Local Security Force, including Grants-in-Aid (No. 28 of 1939).
The Supplementary Estimate is, I think, self-explanatory, but I had better go through the different items. The first sub-head is AA.—£1,456. This sum was paid to eight officers who were compulsorily retired during the year. Each officer got three months' pay in lieu of notice. The extra £2,500 under sub-head C was required for subsistence allowances because of the additional work thrown on the force in dealing with the enforcement of the restrictions following the foot-and-mouth disease epidemic. Under sub-head E, there is a sum of £5,795, due to the rise in contract prices as a result of the war and emergency conditions obtaining. The period of wear of garments supplied to the Gárda has been extended, two years' issues being now made to cover three ordinary annual issues. There has been an appreciable saving in public expenditure as a result. With regard to the sums of £180 and £125, under sub-heads G and K, this expenditure, which is for cleaning, barrack maintenance and conveyance of children to industrial schools, varies from year to year.
Sub-head M—£1,538—is for compensation to the dependents of members of the Gárda Síochána fatally injured in the performance of their duties and compensation to members who are injured, but not fatally, in the performance of their duties. The cases of the two officers in Holles Street were the first two heard. The others have not been heard yet. I believe that the practice in the courts is that jury cases take precedence in the lists. I understand that when the judges come back from circuit these cases will be heard. Sub-head N—£6,481—is for miscellaneous equipment, of which £50 is for revolver holsters. There is an item of £4,150 for wireless equipment. This item has now figured in the Estimates for 1939-40, 1940-41 and 1941-42, the reason being that supplies were not obtainable and only part delivery was made. Delivery of the outstanding items is expected shortly. The whole cost was estimated to be £7,960, of which £3,809 was spent last year. The equipment was for a wireless communication system between Gárda headquarters and local stations and vicinity with portable receiving sets for Gárda patrol cars. They have got these at last.
There is also an item for safes for the proper custody of confidential papers, etc., which was mentioned here last year. We got the safes only recently. The sum of £4,103 under sub-head O represents extra Local Security Force expenses. One item was 7,000 steel helmets at a cost of £2,975 for use in A.R.P. areas. Six thousand have been delivered to date, and the delivery of the remainder is expected before the end of March. The sum for badges and armlets is £178. Part of the expenses was in respect of ammunition supplied on a repayable basis by the Army to the "A" group, now the L.D.F., prior to the 1st January 1941. After that date the expenses generally of the L.D.F. fell on the Army Vote, and of the L.S.F. on the Gárda Síochána Vote.
The next item is sub-head P—£1,000 L.S.F. grant. The extra sum is required to meet capitation grants to district funds of the L.S.F. Until the claims for the annual renewal of £1 capitation grants which are being received and examined, it will not be possible to state the actual expenditure. The local audit by my Department of the district fund is almost completed; the accounts were found most satisfactory, and reflected great credit on the keen efficiency of the L.S.F. district officers responsible. I believe that was the general experience everywhere—that the accounts were very well kept indeed. I desire to take this opportunity of congratulating the officers responsible on how well they kept their accounts. The next item is sub-head Q. The payment from the Road Fund is in respect of the expenses of the Gárda Síochána in the execution of the Roads Act, 1920 and the Road Traffic Act, 1933. The estimated receipt was £20,000 and the actual £18,218, a deficiency of approximately £1,782. This sum represents 2 per cent. of the receipts into the Road Fund for the year 1940/41.