Has the Minister any observations to make on this?
Supplementary Estimate: Vote No. 32 (Office of the Minister for Justice)—Report.
Question proposed: "That the Dáil agree with the Committee in its Report on Vote No. 32."
I dealt with every point that was raised and I have nothing to add.
I thought the Minister was going to tell us whether the medal would be gold, silver or bronze.
Mr. Boland
I said we would have to wait until a recommendation was made by the committee to be set up as to the kind of medal to be provided. We expect to get that after competition has been invited by the committee.
The House has had an opportunity of thinking over the possibility of this relatively penniless man who risks his life, his clothes, his teeth and his glasses in trying to save somebody and who, in consequence of his efforts, may be deprived of some essential portion of either his physical or sartorial equipment. Is it proposed to give this committee power to make, in an unostentatious way, a grant to that man to make up whatever loss he has suffered as a result of risking his own life to save somebody else's? Has the Minister any fresh views on that?
Mr. Boland
No. I think that the certificate and the medal ought to be kept distinct from any monetary awards, and I think it can be left to private efforts to look after anything of the kind the Deputy speaks of. I said before that if the Lord Mayor and the members of the committee considered that a person had suffered loss. I thought it would be settled right away, whereas I think it would be all wrong to mix the two things together.
So that the man would go to the Phoenix Park for the medal and to the Mansion House for the suit of clothes.
May I ask if the House is in Committee?
I wanted to ask the Minister if his Department, being responsible for this Bill, would get in touch with the Department of Defence and the Department of External Affairs in order to secure that these matters would be clarified. Will the Minister do that?
Mr. Boland
I will.
Provided the Department clarifies that, I am satisfied.
Question put and agreed to.