asked the Minister for Agriculture why provisions under subheads D.2, D.3 and E.5 of his Department's Estimate were originally so low that they had already on 22 June 1978 been exceeded by amounts totalling £17,270; and if he is satisfied that the original estimates presented to the Dáil in January 1978 were adequate at the time.
Written Answers . - Departmental Estimate .
144.
: The subheads concerned relate to areas where normal expenditure had ceased in 1977. In accordance with normal practice, a token provision only was made in each case to cover the possibility that unexpected residual payments might arise. In the circumstances, the extra expenditure which has arisen is not excessive.