Vol. 339 No. 2
I move:
That leave be given by the Dáil to introduce the following Supplementary Estimates for the service of the year ending on the 31st day od December, 1982, namely:—
Votes Nos.:—
12. (Office of the Attorney General),
14. (Miscellaneous Expenses),
22. (Office of the Minister for Justice),
24. (Prisons),
28. (Environment),
35. (Fisheries),
36. (Forestry),
38. (Agriculture),
46. (Foreign Affairs),
48. (Social Welfare),
49. (Health),
50. (Industry and Energy).
We are agreeing to these. I should like to make a general point on all the Supplementary Estimates as they are being moved together. The Supplementary Estimates are for approximately £89 million but, in fact, that does not lead to any excess expenditure overall. What is being done is a rearranging within the subheads of some of the Votes, other Votes have token Estimates while others are giving effect to budgetary provisions. Although the total amounts to £89 million there is not any additional expenditure involved over and above that outlined in the March budget. The Minister should confirm that before we deal with the individual Votes. I should like to congratulate the Minister on his appointment.
I should like to thank the Deputy for his congratulations. I am happy to confirm that the situation is as he has outlined. The situation has not changed in the last two days. This is, as the Deputy pointed out, largely a rearrangement of the disposition of finance between the various subheadings and does not give rise to any further excess in expenditure.
Will the Minister confirm that there will in effect be savings on the overall expenditure as outlined in the budget of March of this year?
I wish to make the point to the Deputy that the situation has not changed in the last couple of days. It is expected that by the end of the year the total expenditure will be somewhat less than was budgeted for in the March budget this year.
Well done us; thank you.
To facilitate the House and the new Government, especially the new Minister, we will on this occasion, and only on this occasion, facilitate the Government by accepting the Supplementary Estimates as outlined in item No. 8.
I understood we would be taking the Estimates individually because I had a query on the Estimate relating to the Office of the Minister for Justice. My query related to the proposal that there would be £5,000 additional funds given to the Coolock Community Law Centre. I should like to know if that is included in the Supplementary Estimate. It was to have been included by the last administration.
As far as we are concerned it has gone in.
The Supplementary Estimmate before the House is as prepared by the last Government. It was not varied in any detail and I confirm what Deputy MacSharry has said as to the content of all the items in that Supplementary Estimate.
Is Deputy De Rossa satisfied?
I have been handed a copy of the Supplementary Estimate and I should like to know if the Minister can say specifically that £5,000 has been included for the Coolock Community Law Centre to the end of this year.
It is £16,800.
It is in it.
