asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will state in respect of his Department the amount by which the January 1981 Estimates under-provided for charges known to have existed at the time of the approval of the Estimates by the then Government; and in the case of the shortfall in provisions in relation to basic pay if he will state the areas in which such shortfalls occurred and the number of weeks' basic pay which the shortfall constituted for each such area.
Written Answers. - Departmental Estimates.
608.
I dealt with this matter at some length in my introductory statement and reply to the debate on the Supplementary Estimate for my Department on 12 November 1981 and I would refer the Deputy to columns 1939-1940 and 2040-2044 of the Official Report (Volume 330 No. 11).
609.
asked the Minister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism if he will state in respect of his Department the amount by which the January 1981 Estimates under-provided for charges known to have existed at the time of the approval of the Estimates by the then Government; and in the case of the shortfall in provisions in relation to basic pay if he will state the areas in which such shortfalls occurred and the number of weeks' basic pay which the shortfall constituted for each such area.
As I mentioned in my speech in the Dáil on 26 November 1981 when speaking on a Supplementary Estimate for my Department, there apparently was, on the basis outlined by me, an under-provision of £1 million in respect of the bread and flour and wheatenmeal subsidies. There were no instances of shortfalls in basic pay provisions; adjustments which subsequently became necessary in pay provisions arose from circumstances which would not ordinarily have been provided for at the time of approval of Estimates by the then Government.