As you have indicated, it has been the practice to take these three Votes together and I am following this year on the same lines.
Vote 9 bears the salaries and expenses of the administrative, executive 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 purchase of sites and buildings, for the erection, maintenance and furnishing of the Government offices and other State-owned premises throughout the country, for the erection and improvement of national schools, for the erection of major military buildings, for arterial drainage, for the maintenance of State-owned parks and State harbours, and for a number of minor-activities. Vote 11 is a small Vote, providing for the expenses of management of Haulbowline Island in so far as the island remains in civilian control.
Vote 9.—There is an increase of £16,280 in the Estimate for the Office of Public Works. This is due mainly to the payment of increased emergency bonus to civil servants and to the recruitment of additional staff for the architectural and engineering branches. The additional architectural staff is required to replace officers seconded to the Department of Industry and Commerce for airports work and to undertake an increased programme of schools survey work; the additional engineering staff is necessary for arterial drainage.
It will be noted that a new sub-head —CC—appears in the Estimate for this year. The Government has decided to proceed with the development of the Rotunda Gardens site, which was acquired with a view to its conversion into a Garden of Remembrance dedicated to the memory of those who gave their lives for Irish freedom. The cost of the work will be borne on Vote 10; on Vote 9 will be borne incidental expenses as set out in Part III of the Estimate.
Vote 10.—The Estimate for Public Works and Buildings at £980,900 shows an increase of £129,327 on the Vote for 1945-46. The main increases are in the New Works, Maintenance and Drainage sub-heads. The amount voted for sub-head B—New Works, Alterations and Additions—for 1945-46 was £390,000. The expenditure was £280,000, approximately. Supplies of steel, timber, heating and electrical equipment essential for our building works were still restricted. The amount provided for 1946-47 is £500,000, which is an increase of £110,000 on the 1945-46 Vote. We have found it necessary to put forward a number of new items and to provide for the carrying out of others which have had to be postponed during the emergency. Particulars of these items will be found in Part III of the Estimate. We are hoping that there will be sufficient improvement in the supply position during the year to enable us to carry out our programme.
We are again providing £250,000 for grants for building and improving national schools. Expenditure on this service in 1945-46 was £176,000 approximately, which is £50,000 approximately less than the expenditure in the previous year. This was due mainly to the difficulty of placing contracts owing to the unsatisfactory supply position.
Maintenance.—Expenditure under this sub-head in recent years has exceeded the provisions and in view of the high costs of materials and labour still prevailing we consider it necessary to increase the provision for 1946-47 to £240,000.
Drainage.—Provision for expenditure on comprehensive drainage schemes under the Arterial Drainage Act, 1945, is not made in the Estimate. If we are satisfied later that a start on drainage works will be possible and desirable, provision for the expenditure involved will be made by way of Supplementary Estimate. We are providing for the purchase of four new excavating machines which are at present on order and of which delivery is expected by the end of this summer, and provision is also made as in previous years for the reconditioning of our existing drainage plant.
Vote 11.—The Vote for Hawlbowline Dockyard is in the usual form and calls for no special comment.