I move:—
That a supplementary sum not exceeding £11,200 be granted to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending 31st March, 1949, for the Salaries and Expenses of the Stationery Office; for Stationery, Printing, Papers, Binding, and Printed Books for the Public Service; and for sundry Miscellaneous Services, including Reports of Oireachtas Debates.
The grants for the year included certain provisions for the printing of the general ration books. It was expected that the deliveries of this book would have taken place in such time to enable the payments to be made in the previous financial period. The books were delayed and they only came to hand just before the end of 1947-48. The money has now to be provided for supplies for this year. In addition there is certain extra expenditure which could not have been foreseen when the original Estimate was sent to print. That extra expenditure has now to be met. It has been occasioned in the main by demands for overtime because of the pressure of work. There have been certain increases in printing costs. A van had to be hired and a new van had later to be purchased. Certain additional office machinery had to be supplied.
The numbers of books and periodicals have increased and there have been increased purchases of ordnance survey maps. The whole thing amounts to the sum mentioned.
