Vol. 146 No. 6
I move:—
That a sum not exceeding £221,000 be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1955, 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 and 9; etc.).
Deputies will, of course, understand that these Estimates were prepared by my predecessor and I propose to explain the various provisions as I find them.
Vote 8 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 Vote 9.
Vote 9 provides the necessary funds for the purchase of sites and buildings for State purposes, for the erection, maintenance and furnishing of Government offices and other State-owned premises, for the erection and improvement of national schools, for the erection of major military buildings, for arterial drainage and other engineering works, for the maintenance of State-owned parks and State harbours and for a number of other activities.
The net Estimate for Vote 8 is £54,530 more than the Estimate for 1953-54. The provision for salaries, wages and allowances is increased by £72,000, but this increase is offset by the sum of £26,670 provided in 1953-54 from the Vote for increases in remuneration following the arbitration award of 1952. The provisions for travelling, telegram and telephone charges, and incidental expenses account for an increase of £6,700. Appropriations-in-Aid are expected to realise £2,500 less than last year's Estimate.
Sub-head A refers to salaries, wages and allowances. Specific provision has been made for 31 additional heads of staff of which 22 are for the engineering branch, and mainly for the marine and general division, to meet the requirements of the programme of harbour improvement works. A contingency provision of the same amount as last year in respect of this branch is for additional engineering staff for drainage works and clerical assistance for the central engineering workshop establishment.
Additional provision is required for consulting engineers' fees for services in connection with the Corrib-Clare Catchment Drainage Scheme and with dredging plant. The other increases in the Subhead cover proposals for architectural staff to cope with additional work devolving on the new Works Division and to meet the requirements of the expanding Schools building and improvement programme, and staff for the Secretary's Branch required by the general expansion of the activities of the Office. Five new heads of staff are being provided for the National Monuments Service.
The salaries, amounting to £21,000 and the travelling expenses, £4,000, of engineering staff, numbering 41, engaged on surveys and works being carried out by the Commissioners as agents for the Minister for Agriculture, are recoverable from the Vote for Agriculture together with £2,100 for Secretariat and Accountant's Branch staff. Expenditure amounting to £5,800 and £4,800 is recoverable from Vote 20—Employment and Emergency Schemes and Vote 51—Transport and Marine Services respectively—see items (5) and (7) of Subhead E—Appropriations-in-Aid.
The proposed additions to the technical staff are reflected in the increase of £5,500 in Subhead B.—Travelling Expenses—which is principally attributable to activities in connection with the Marine Works programme and also to increased mileage and subsistence rates. The increase under Subhead C. —Incidental Expenses, £700, is likewise related to the requirements of the additional staff. Provision is made for an increase of £500 in respect of Sub-head D.—Telegrams and Telephones arising out of the revision of the system of charges for the telephone service.
A net increase of £2,000 is anticipated in receipts under Subhead E.— Appropriations-in-Aid—the principal reduction being that of £5,000 in agency fees recoverable for services in connection with works chargeable to Telephone Capital Account and to the British Ministry of Works. Recoveries from Vote 9 of salaries and travelling expenses of staff engaged on Drainage works also show a decrease, £1,900, in anticipation of the conclusion of work on the River Fergus and the Brosna Catchment Drainage Scheme.
The amount expected to be recovered as administrative expenses for the management of the Local Loans Fund will also be less than last year to the extent of £1,000. These decreases are offset to the extent shown in the Estimate by an increase of £3,100 recoverable from the Vote for employment and emergency schemes and by increases of £1,500 and £800 in the amounts expected to be recovered from the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Industry and Commerce in respect of the salaries and travelling expenses of staff engaged on the land rehabilitation and harbour improvement works.
I come now to Vote 9. The Estimate of £4,647,000 for Public Works and Buildings for this year compared with the Vote for 1953/54 shows a net increase of £1,639,850.
The increase in gross expenditure is attributable mainly to the programme of building works and the acquisition of new premises. Increases of lesser order in the provisions for the construction and maintenance of arterial drainage schemes are balanced by a roughly equivalent decrease in the provision for the purchase and maintenance of engineering plant and machinery and stores. The provision for building maintenance is virtually unchanged but some increases have been made in the provisions for furniture and fuel.
The provisions for the individual sub-heads show the following variations on those of last year:—
Sub-head A—Purchase of Sites and Buildings—has been increased by £440,000.
Sub-head B—New Works, Alterations and Additions—shows an increase of £1,140,000 on last year's provision of £1,330,000. The increase in the schools building and improvements provision accounts for £620,000 of the increase in this sub-head. Due to progress with a number of school building projects the expenditure under this head last year amounted to £1,071,920, as against a provision of £730,000. The provision for 1954/55 is £1,350,000. Works at military establishments, including hard surface runways at Baldonnel, require an increased provision of £220,000 approximately. These comprise the more substantial increase under this sub-head which includes 162 items in all.
The principal items included by my predecessor in the sub-head are:—
Áras an Uachtaráin—Improvements; Dublin Castle—new offices for stamping branch and Revenue Department; Office of Public Works—central engineering workshop and stores (adaptations); Botanic Gardens—improvement of water supply; Abbotstown Farm—adaptations; agricultural schools at Athenry, Ballyhaise and Clonakilty—sundry building and improvement works; Grange Stud and Dairy Farm—adaptations; Johnstown Castle—adaptations; Munster Institute —improved accommodation; Veterinary College—improvements; Fishery, etc. Harbours — dredging and improvement works and preliminary preparations for the construction of major fishery harbours; a number of new Garda barracks; Coláiste Móibhí Preparatory College—adaptations; Central Model Schools—central heating and electric lighting; Rosslare—new meteorological station; Valentia Observatory— adaptations and additions; a new tweed mart at Glencolumbkille; new post offices and telephone exchanges at Athenry, Cootehill, Drogheda, Galway, Kilrush, Naas and Rathluirc; extensions and improvements to existing post offices at Ballina, Dundalk, Kilkenny and Tralee; new broadcasting studies at Cork; Cathal Brugha barracks—dining hall and cookhouse; McKee Barracks—covered accommodation for vehicles; Baldonnel Camp— hard surface runways; Curragh Camp —new Catholic church, additional magazines, storage accommodation and renewal of electrical installation; Arbour Hill Detention Prison— memorial to 1916 leaders; Paris Embassy adaptations and furnishing; new employment exchanges at Ballina and Westport.
Sub-head C—Maintenance and Supplies, has virtually the same provision as last year. There is a small transfer of liability to the Vote for Transport and Marine Services in respect of some supplies for the Coast Life Saving Service but the expenditure as a whole is expected to show little change.
For subhead D (1)—Furniture Fittings and Utensils, an additional £10,000 is being provided to meet large movements of headquarters staffs and increased demands generally. There are no changes in sub-head D (2)— Central Furniture Stores or sub-head E—Rents, Rates, etc., but sub-head F—Fuel, Light, Water, Cleaning, etc., shows an increase of £1,000 attributable mainly to the proposed use of turf in central heating installations and the increased cost of fuel oil. It is necessary also, chiefly as a matter of accounting procedure, to make separate provision for the cost of fuel stocks, purchased but unissued before the close of the financial year. This provision, estimated at £5,000 is made under sub-head F (2)—Reserve Fuel Stocks, which has been opened for the purpose.
Of the minor provisions, sub-head G —Phoenix Park National School, shows an increase of £360, the estimated cost of internal and external painting and sub-head I—Telegrams and Telephones—is increased by £100 consequent on revision of the system of charges for the telephone service. There is no charge in sub-head H— River Shannon Works.
For Arterial Drainage Surveys (sub-head J (1)), the provision required is the same as last year, the survey programme contemplated being of similar extent to that proposed for 1953-54. Deputies will no doubt have observed that the drainage and machinery sub-heads are presented in a somewhat modified form this year. The change has been made for the purpose of simplifying accounting procedure.
The provision of £377,000 for Arterial Drainage Construction Works (sub-head J (2) is £41,500 higher than the corresponding figure for last year. Works on the Brosna are drawing to a close and those on the Corrib-Clare catchment drainage scheme have just begun. Operations on the Glyde and Dee and on the Feale schemes are continuing; the Nenagh scheme has been exhibited in accordance with the Act and will shortly be submitted for confirmation. Further schemes in the design and survey stages are the Moy, the Maine, the Inny and the Suck.
The provision under sub-head J (3) —Barrow Drainage, Repayment of Advances—is statutory and remains unchanged. The provision under sub-head J (4)—River Fergus Drainage— shows a decrease of £5,500 as the works at Clarecastle are almost complete.
A new sub-head—J (5)—has been opened to provide for the maintenance of completed arterial drainage schemes, one of which, the Brosna, is expected to come into that category during the year. Expenditure under this sub-head will be recoverable in due course from the county councils concerned.
For accounting purposes it has been found desirable to amalgamate the three K sub-heads which formerly provided separately for the purchase and maintenance of engineering plant and machinery and for workshop equipment and stores. The new sub-head K —Purchase and Maintenance of Engineering Plant, Machinery and Stores—combines these provisions. Compared with the equivalent provisions of the 1953-54 Estimate the sub-head shows a decrease of £40,500. This decrease is mainly in respect of the provision required for workshop plant and equipment, a considerable quantity of which has now been installed.
The estimate of receipts under sub-head L—Appropriations-in-Aid—shows a decrease of £23,190. The main decrease is in the hireage of plant. This figure varies from year to year according to the extent to which dredgers and other items of plant are engaged on works for local authorities and other outside parties. The remaining variations are casual.
Under the Vote for Employment and Emergency Schemes, funds are provided for the annual programme of employment schemes to give work to men in receipt of unemployment assistance in urban and rural areas of the country, and for other services such as bog development schemes, rural improvements schemes, minor marine works and other miscellaneous schemes, which, while not specifically authorised for the purpose of giving employment, represent a useful contribution to that problem. The Vote also makes provision for the salaries, travelling expenses, etc., of the staff of the Special Employment Schemes Office responsible for the administration of the Vote.
As Deputies will see from page 54 of the printed Estimates, the net provision in this year's Estimate is substantially the same as last year, viz., £695,900, compared with the provision of £689,450 in 1953-54. It will be recalled, however, that the Vote last year was supplemented in December last by a grant of £500,000 from the National Development Fund. It is proposed this year to supplement the Vote by a grant of £400,000 from the fund. This was decided by the previous Minister before leaving office and it is proposed to accept that decision. The manner in which this extra money will be distributed among the various sub-heads of the Vote is at present under active consideration.
The provision, including National Development Fund grant, and expenditure last year on the various services are shown in the following statement:—
|
Service |
Vote Provision |
National Development Fund Grant |
Total Provision |
Estimated Expenditure |
Balance |
|
£ |
£ |
£ |
£ |
£ |
|
|
F. Urban Employment Schemes |
140,000 |
300,000 |
440,000 |
309,600 |
130,400 |
|
G. Rural Employment Schemes |
60,000 |
— |
60,000 |
54,600 |
5,400 |
|
H. Minor Employment Schemes |
120,000 |
65,000 |
185,000 |
172,000 |
13,000 |
|
I. Bog Development Schemes |
100,000 |
60,000 |
160,000 |
145,000 |
15,000 |
|
J. Rural Improvements Schemes |
197,000 |
75,000 |
272,000 |
235,000 |
37,000 |
|
K. Miscellaneous Schemes |
20,800 |
— |
20,800 |
18,300 |
2,500 |
In addition to the Voted amounts mentioned above, contributions were provided by local authorities amounting to £79,200 for urban areas and £17,400 for Rural Employment Schemes.
Sub-head F (Urban Employment Schemes) is intended to finance employment schemes in the four county boroughs of Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Waterford, the borough of Dún Laoghaire and such of the 55 other urban districts in which there are sufficient numbers of unemployment assistance recipients to form gangs of economic size. These schemes are administered by the respective local authorities through the Department of Local Government and grants are subject to the local authority submitting suitable work schemes for approval by the Special Employment Schemes Office and the making of a contribution towards their costs.
Employment schemes in rural areas under Sub-heads G and H form a joint programme of works. They are carried out only in areas where the number of unemployment assistance recipients are sufficient to form gangs of economic size. Sub-head G finances schemes of work on county roads administered by county councils. The schemes are confined to non-urbanised towns and to rural areas where there are very large numbers of unemployment assistance recipients. The county councils are required to contribute about 25 per cent, of the cost. Subhead H (Minor Employment Schemes) consists of the construction and repair of accommodation roads to farmers' houses, lands and bogs. No local contribution is required in respect of minor employment schemes. These schemes are carried out only in the Counties of Cavan, Clare, Cork West, Donegal, Galway, Kerry, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo, and are confined to the congested or poorer areas in those counties.
The provision under Subhead I for development works in bogs used by landholders and other private producers is for the repair or construction of roads and drains serving bogs used by landholders and other persons who produce handwon turf for their domestic requirements or for sale in neighbouring towns.
The Rural Improvements Scheme (Subhead J) makes provision for grants towards the cost of carrying out works to benefit the lands of two or more farmers, such as small drainage schemes, bridges and the reconstruction and repair of accommodation roads to houses, lands and bogs. State grants varying from 75 per cent. in the case of farms with an average valuation of £18 and over to 95 per cent. in the case of farms with an average valuation of below £6 of the cost of approved works are available, subject to the balance of the cost being met by the benefiting landholders. In cases where the work is of substantial benefit to the general "outside" public in addition to the immediate farms benefiting, the percentage of State grant can be increased. These rural improvements schemes grants are available in any part of the Twenty-Six Counties, irrespective of the number of unemployment assistance recipients in the areas concerned.
The Rural Improvements Scheme is now the most popular scheme administered by the Special Employment Schemes Office and this, of course, is due to the change made in June, 1950 in the terms of the scheme. Prior to that date farmers, irrespective of whether they were wealthy men with large valuations or small farmers with a valuation of only a few pounds per head, were required to pay one-quarter of the cost of the proposed works, the State contributing the remaining three-quarters. To meet the cases in the poorer districts where the farmers were not able to contribute one-quarter of the cost, the terms of the scheme were revised to allow an increased proportion of State grant, where necessary. The 25 per cent. contribution was retained only in the case of farmers whose average valuation was £18 or more. In the case of farmers with a valuation of £12 but below £18, the contribution was reduced to 20 per cent.: farmers with valuations of £9 or below £12 were only asked to pay 15 per cent.: £7 valuation and below £9 were asked to pay 11 per cent.: £6 average valuation or below £7 had to pay only 8 per cent., and in the case of the very small farmers with valuations of less than £6 they were asked to pay only a 5 per cent. contribution. The number of applications received under the scheme, in consequence, increased considerably, the figures being 695 in 1949-50 (the last year of the old arrangement), 1,412 in 1950-51, 1,285 in 1951-52, 1,226 in 1952-53 and 1,458 in 1953-54. The money provision for the scheme in the Estimates had, in consequence, also to be increased from £100,000, which was the figure up to 1949-50 to £125,000 in 1950-51, £150,000 in 1951-52 and £175,000 in 1952-53. The expenditure in 1952-53 was £190,000, and it has gone up again to £235,000 last year, which was met partly from the Vote provision of £197,000 and partly from the additional grant of £75,000 from the National Development Fund in 1953-54. There are, in fact, already in the Special Employment Schemes Office sufficient applications to exhaust the money that can be made available for this scheme in 1954-55. Deputies on all sides of the House must, therefore, realise that there will necessarily be some delay in dealing with any new applications. The provision for miscellaneous schemes (Subhead K) is mainly to meet expenditure on minor marine works, such as the extension and reconstruction of small piers or slips for the landing of seaweed and sand, and to facilitate the fishing industry. The county councils concerned are required to contribute one-quarter of the cost of such schemes and to maintain the works on completion. The sub-head will also finance schemes of archaeological excavation at Tara, Lough Gara and other centres.
The Appropriations-in-Aid realised last year were £38,750 approximately, of which £25,500 had been taken into account in the Estimates submitted to the Dáil and was used to meet part of the expenditure. This subhead includes receipts in respect of rural improvements schemes, bog development schemes, minor marine works and the sales of surplus materials, etc.
Níl aon ní Réabhlóideach sa gcaint a rinne an Rúnaí Parlaiminte. Tá glactha aige le na hoibreacha poiblí a mhol an fear a bhí ína áit agus is maith an rud é. Níorbh fhéídir leis an ath-Rúnaí Parlaiminte a bheith láithreach anocht. B'éigin do gan bheith sa tig mar gheall ar ghnó práinneach.
Do léigh an Rúnaí Parlaiminte liosta fada d'oibreacha poiblí amach agus tá glactha aige do réir a chainte le gach ceann acu. Ní miste comórtas a dhéanamh idir an chaint a rinne an Rúnaí Parlaiminte agus an chaint a rinne an tAire Airgeadaís an tseachtain seo caite ar na tairiscintí i gcóir oibreacha poiblíde gach sórt ag iarraidh déanamh amach go raibh an dream seo ar an taobh seo den Teach nuair a bhíodar ína Rialtas ró-chaifeach le hairgead poiblí agus nuair dúirt sé go raibh sé féin chun airgead a shábháil ar na scéimeanna seo. Is ait an scéal é go bhfuil a mhalairt de phort ag an Rúnaí Parlaiminte anois i dtaobh an líosta fada seo d'oibreacha poiblí a léigh sé amach agus a bhfuil glactha aige leo ina n-iomlán. Teaspáineann sé nach raibh an fhírinne á rá ag an Aire Airgeadais nuair dúirt sé leis an Dáil go raibh na hoibreacha sin ceadaithe ag Rialtas Fíanna Fáil. Ar ndóigh, tá áthas ar an taobh seo go bhfuil an Rúnaí Parlaiminte le dhul chun chinn leis na hoibreacha seo.
Dá mbeadh an t-ath-Rúnaí Parlaiminte ag caint anois is cosúil go gcuirfeadh sé síos ar chúrsaí dréanála agus ar scéimeanna bóthar de na cineálacha ar fad a léigh an Rúnaí Parlaiminte. Ar mo shon féin ní miste dhom a admháil go bhfuil suim thar an gcoiteantacht agam fhéin ins na hoibreacha a bhaineas le cuanta agus céibheanna agus calaphort a dhéanamh agus a fheabhsú, mar bh freagaracht orm nuair a bhíos ar an taobh sin i dtaobh tionscal na hiascaigh agus ní ró-shásta a bhí méi ngeall ar an moill a rinneadh le cur leis an bhfoireann innealtórachta a bhí fostaithe ag Oifig na nOibreacha. Poiblí, go mór mhór chomh fada is a bhain an tseirbhis sin le feabhsú na gcuan. Bhí sé ar aon chaoi de shásamh agam sar ar fhág mé an Oifig a fheiceál go raibh cuid mhaith d'innealltóirí nua fostaithe ag an oifig agus go raibh siad mar sin i ndon ann dul chun chinn níos fearr a dhéanamh i dtaobh feabhsú na gcuanta, go mór-mhór ar imeall-bhord an iarthair. Ar ndóigh, na dualgaisí atá ar an Rúnaí Parlaiminte is mór an leas a dhéanann siad do na ceanntracha is boichte sa tír. Na scéimeanna il-chineálacha a léigh sé amach, scaipeann siad airgead i measc na gceanntracha bochta agus ina theannta sin déanann siad oibreacha atá an-fhóinteach ar fad ins na ceanntracha seo, rud nárbh fhéidir le haon chomhairle condae a dhéanamh as airgead na rátaí.
Do luaigh an Rúnaí Parlaiminte faoin athrú a rinne sé féin ar an scéim i dtaobh Feabhsucháin. Tuaithe agus ba mhaith liomsa tagairt a dhéanamh don athrú a rinne an Teachta Ó Beagáin i dtaobh na n-oibreacha beaga. Tá fhios ag an Rúnaí Parlaiminte gur mhéadaigh sé an soláthar airgid i gcóir na n-oibreacha beaga agus na scéimeanna uile a dhéanann leas na Gaeltachta agus leas na gceanntracha bochta fré céile. Is iomaí sin leas a dhéanann Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí agus an Oifig Scéimeanna Fostuíochta Speisialta ar fud na tíre ar fad agus bhí áthas orm a chloisteál faoin méid airgid atá dá sholáthar le haghaidh scoileanna nua a dhéanamh agus le haghaidh oibreacha mór-shiltín. Cuidíonn an dá rud sin le na feilméaraí beaga agus leis an bpobal i gcoitinne i dtaobh an oideachais. Is dócha nach mór le na daoine sa Teach seo, is cuma cén taobh a bhfuil síad nó is cuma dá shantaí íad, i dtaobh airgead a shábháil dá mhéad an soláthar i gcóir an oideachais. Tá súil agam go mbeidh ar chumas an Rúnaí Parlaiminte an t-airgead sin ar fad a chaitheamh i rith na bliana agus go mbeidh ar chumas foireann Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí agus na hoifigigh eile atá fé chúram an Rúnaí Parlaiminte obair ar fheabhas a dhéanamh leis an airgead sin ar mhaithe le na daoine i gcoitinne agus go mór-mhór daoine na gceanntracha bochta atá luaite agam.
I perhaps should explain to the Parliamentary Secretary that his immediate predecessor is unavoidably prevented from being present and I want to assure him that it is not through any lack of courtesy on his part that he is not here. We are particularly pleased that the programme of works prepared by Deputy Beegan when he was Parliamentary Secretary has been adopted by the present occupant of the office. As I said in Irish, many of these schemes confer considerable benefit on the poorest districts in the country. They confer two direct benefits: they provide very useful amenities which need to be provided, but which would have a very poor chance of being undertaken out of money provided from the rates and they provide employment in places where it is very difficult to find employment of the kind which is readily available in towns.
