I move:—
That a supplementary sum not exceeding £10 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1964, for the Salaries and Expenses of the Office of the Minister for Transport and Power, including certain Services administered by that Office, and for payment of sundry Grants-in-Aid.
The purpose of this token Estimate is to enable the Dáil to discuss the 1963-64 Estimate for the Department of Transport and Power.
In the Book of Estimates the net Estimate of £5,219,880 is compared with a sum of £5,015,060 granted in 1962-63 (including two Supplementary Estimates for £10 each, and £10,300 in respect of services transferred from another Department) and shows an increase of £204,820 compared with the sum granted last year.
The 1962-63 figure was increased to £5,067,480 by way of a third Supplementary Estimate for £52,420 (Tourism) which was taken too late for inclusion in the Book of Estimates thereby reducing the net increase of £204,820 to £152,400.
The principal increases are in the provisions for Salaries, £50,990 (Subhead A); Redundancy Compensation —Córas Iompair Éireann £120,380 (Subhead D. 2); Tourism £410,000 (subheads F.1, F.2 and F.3); Radio Equipment £189,700 (Subhead K); and Rural Electrification £67,285 (Subhead O). Increases on other Subheads amounted to £77,000. This gives a total increase of £915,355 as shown in the Estimate. The "late" Supplementary Estimate in 1962-63 increased the grant for that year by £52,420 and thereby reduced the increase to £862,935.
The principal decreases are in the provisions for Constructional Works at Airports, £440,000 (Subhead G.2); Catering & Sales Service, Shannon Airport £50,000 (Subhead J); Shannon Free Airport Development Company £80,000 (Subhead L.1) and Bottled Gas Installations £61,500 (Subhead Q). Decreases on other subheads amount to £14,170. To these must be added an increase of £64,865 in the Appropria-tions-in-Aid subhead which is equivalent to a decrease in the net Grant. This brings the total of decreases to £710,535.
The net increase in the Estimate for 1963/64 compared with 1962/63 is therefore £152,400 as I have already stated.
The purpose of the first Supplementary Estimate in 1962/63 for a token sum of £10 was to enable the Dáil to debate the full Estimate for 1962/63 subsequent to the passing of the Appropriation Act 1962.
The Second Supplementary Estimate provided for an increase of £63,490 on the original Estimate of £10—(Subhead Q—Grants for Bottled Gas Installations). This sum was offset by savings of £63,480 on other subheads so that only a token sum of £10 was required.
The third Supplementary sanctioned increases of £30,456 on Subhead F.1 (Sec. 2 of the Tourist Traffic Act 1961) and £102,989 on Subhead F.3 (Development of Holiday Accommodation)— a total of £133,445. This increase was offset by savings of £81,025 on Subhead F.2 (Resort Development) so that the additional sum required was £52,420.
This Estimate was not taken in time for inclusion in the Book of Estimates.