Vol. 94 No. 4
I move:—
That a sum not exceeding £94,953 be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending the 31st day of March, 1945, for the Salaries and Expenses of the Office of Public Works (1 & 2 Will. 4, c. 33, secs. 5 and 6; 5 & 6 Vict., c. 89, secs. 1 and 2; 9 & 10 Vict., c. 86, secs. 2, 7 & 9; etc.).
It has been customary to take Votes 9, 10 and 11 together and I suppose there will be no objection to following that procedure. Vote 9 bears the salaries and expenses of the administrative and technical staffs of the Office of Public Works, which is the office responsible for the administration of Votes 10 and 11. Vote 10 provides the necessary funds for the erection, maintenance and furnishing of Government offices and other State-owned premises throughout the country, for the erection of major military buildings, for the construction and improvement of national schools, the maintenance of parks and State harbours, for the construction of airports, for arterial drainage and for a number of minor activities. Vote 11 is only a small vote dealing with the management of Haulbowline in so far as the island remains in civilian control.
There is an increase in the gross Estimate for Vote 9 of £10,111, due mainly to the necessity of recruiting additional staff and to the payment of additional emergency bonus increases to certain members of the staff. The net estimate, however, shows a reduction of £6,389 on last year's figure. This is due to the inclusion as an Appropriation-in-Aid of the Vote of the annual amount recoverable as management expenses of the Local Loans Fund. The amount so recovered was formerly brought to credit as an Exchequer receipt, but, as an accountancy arrangement, it will be treated in future as an Appropriation-in-Aid.
The additional staff to be recruited are required for work in connection with airports, drainage and other surveys and the compilation of a comprehensive rental of Government properties. They comprise both clerical and technical officers. Of the officers whose salaries are borne on this Vote, 21 are on loan to other offices.
Vote 10, the Vote for Public Works and Buildings, at £1,313,905, shows an increase of £308,540 on last year's Estimate. The main increases occur in sub-head B—New Works; sub-head C—Maintenance and Supplies, and in the drainage sub-heads—J (4), J (5), J (6) and J (7). Sub-head B is increased by £270,000. The increase is mainly attributable to the extensive works which it is proposed should be undertaken at the Shannon airport, Rineanna and at Foynes. The total provision for works at Rineanna and Foynes is £508,000 as against £175,000 in the preceding financial year.
We are again repeating the figure of £250,000 for grants for building and improving national schools. Our expenditure on this service last year reached a record figure of £256,000. This was partly due to the fact that a number of large schools in the newly-developed city areas were in hands or in course of completion. Several large schools will be in course of erection in Dublin and throughout the country in 1944-45 and, though we shall undoubtedly experience difficulties in the matter of supplies, and progress in some cases must inevitably be slow, we are hoping to be able to overcome most of the difficulties and to keep this important service going. Our programme of new works generally has had to be restricted because of the supply position. Some essential materials are now virtually unprocurable. The number of token provisions appearing in the detailed Estimate will indicate the extent to which we have been obliged to defer works.
The new comprehensive Drainage Bill is at present before the House. No provision is made for expenditure on drainage schemes under the Bill. After this measure has become law, provision for such expenditure as may likely be incurred during 1944-45 will form the subject of a Supplementary Estimate. Provision is, however, made in the Estimate for the overhaul of our existing drainage machines and for the purchase of new machines and of spare parts, etc., so that machinery and equipment for the execution of drainage works under the Bill may be available.
The proposals for works in the Fergus drainage district follow on the District of Fergus Drainage Act, 1943, with which the House is, I think, sufficiently conversant.
There is a slight increase in the amount provided for maintenance and supplies to meet rising costs of materials and labour. There is also a slight increase in the rents sub-head necessary to meet additional services. Last year's figure for fuel, light, etc., is being repeated.
Vote 11, the Vote for Haulbowline Dockyard, is in the usual form. There is a slight increase on last year's Estimate. There are no features in it on which it is necessary to comment.
