Tairgim: Go léifear an Bille anois den Dara hUair. Isé an chéad chuspóir atá ag an mBille seo ná a údarú go dtabharfaí amach as an bPrímh-Chiste deontais i gcóir Seirbhísí Soláthair atá pléite go mion ag an Dáil cheana. Ní leor aontú na Dála le Vóta chun airgead dfháil as an bPrímh-Chiste, ní mór Acht chuige sin. Thug an tAcht Prímh-Chiste, 1944, údarás chun go dtabharfaí amach an riar sin de mhéid iomlán na Meastachán don bhliain airgeadais seo a dheon an Dáil mar íocaíocht i gcuntas, agus údaraíonn Alt I den Bhille seo suim eile atá ag teastáil don bhliain seo do thabhairt amach.
Déanann an Bille freisin a leagadh síos go dleathach cé na seirbhísí gur ceadaithe an t-iomlán a tugtar amach a chaitheamh orthu, agus cén tsuim is ceadaithe a chaitheamh ar gach ceann díobh. Riantar na seirbhísí agus na suimeanna sin i Sceideal don Act, a bhíonn, mar sin, mar threoir ag an Ard-Reachtaire Cuntas agus Ciste agus é ag scrúdú cuntaisí féachaint an bhfuil airgead poiblí á chaitheamh mar ba thoil leis an Oireachtas nuair deonadh é. Tugtar "leithreasú" ar shuimeanna cinnte airgid a chur ar leataoibh ar an nós seo chun crícheanna áirithe luaitear, agus isé seo is bun le teideal an Bhille.
Tugann an Bille an gnáth-údarás chun airgead dfháil ar iasacht agus chun fáltais áirithe de chuid na Ranna Stáit d'úsáid mar Leithreasaí-i-gCabhair.
I move that the Bill be now read a Second Time. This Bill is designed, in the first place, to authorise the issue out of the Central Fund of grants in respect of supply services which have already been considered in detail by the Dáil. The passing of a Vote by the Dáil does not authorise the issue of money out of the Central Fund, which can only be done by legislation. The Central Fund Act, 1944, authorises the issue of the proportion of the total of the Estimates for the current financial year which has been granted on account by the Dáil; the further release from the Central Fund provided for in Section 1 of this Bill will make available the balance required for the public services for the current financial year, excluding the amounts of the Supplementary Estimates for Unemployment Insurance and Unemployment Assistance and for Supplies already introduced, and such further Supplementary Estimates as it may be found necessary to lay before the House later in the year.
In the second place, the Bill prescribes legally the several services on which the sums authorised to be issued from the Central Fund under the Central Fund Act, 1944, and under this Bill may be spent, and the amount which may be spent on each such service. These services and amounts are set out in a Schedule to the Act, which is, therefore, the headline by reference to which the Comptroller and Auditor-General scrutinises accounts to see whether public moneys are being applied in accordance with the wishes of the Oireachtas. This process of setting aside definite sums of money to be spent on specified purposes is known as "appropriation" and gives the Bill its short title.
The Bill makes the usual provision for borrowing by the Minister for Finance for the purpose of meeting demands on the Exchequer, the amount authorised to be borrowed being the same as the amount authorised to be issued from the Central Fund.
