Vol. 4 No. 14
There appears to be no further questions on the estimates. In accordance with Standing Order 79B the clerk to the select committee will send the following message to the Clerk of the Dáil:
The Select Committee on Finance and Public Service has considered the Supplementary Estimates for the Department of the Taoiseach and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The Select Committee went into private session at 4.55 p.m. and resumed in public session at5.30 p.m.
On behalf of the select committee, I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Cullen, and his officials. We will now deal with the Supplementary Estimates falling within the remit of the Department of Finance, namely Vote 10 - Office of Public Works (Supplementary) and Vote 2 - Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas and the European Parliament (Supplementary). I invite the Minister of State to make his opening statement.
I thank the Chairman and members for agreeing to meet this evening to consider the Supplementary Estimate for the Office of Public Works.
Before dealing with the Supplementary Estimate, I would like to make some brief comments on the latest developments in the Office of Public Works. Members are doubtless aware that I have been anxious to develop the full range of business disciplines within the Office of Public Works to the highest possible standards. I have engendered a commercial ethos and encouraged the office to ensure that the full range of Office of Public Works services are delivered in a cohesive manner.
It is important to recognise that we all operate in a very competitive environment and the State itself is not immune to this. Recent changes in commercial practices are driven by the need to ensure standards continue to rise, while remaining competitive and getting best value for money. One way of ensuring and demonstrating this is through ISO accreditation which has been achieved in the Office of Public Works project management division, architectural division and the hydrometric services section. ISO accreditation provides an independent assurance that the services provided by the Office of Public Works conform to an agreed high standard. These achievements are the first of any Civil Service Department in Europe and great credit is due to the chairman and staff involved.
The Office of Public Works has undertaken a very successful Garda accommodation building programme. In the past two years, almost £20 million has been spent by the Office of Public Works in the provision of new Garda accommodation and in carrying out major extension and refurbishment work to existing Garda stations. The design and construction of these new works is of the highest quality, offering Garda personnel excellent working conditions and facilities. Many of the new stations benefit from the provision of CCTV which contributes greatly to security.
Some of the major schemes completed include new residential and education blocks at Templemore College; expenditure of £4 million on new forensic and storage facilities at the Talbot premises, Santry; and new stations either completed or in progress in counties Limerick, Dublin, Meath, Kilkenny, Offaly, Waterford, Cork, Wicklow, Kerry, Clare and Galway.
The social welfare local offices programme has been equally successful in providing modern up-to-date office facilities for the public and staff of the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs in accordance with the principles of quality customer service. Works in excess of £7.5 million will be carried out this year with expenditure of £25 million estimated in 2002.
The success of the recent Farmleigh project which, incidentally, has attracted more than 25,000 visitors to date, amplifies the point that a cohesive and integrated approach from all the disciplines within the office has the ability to deliver great success. I am happy that through a process of consultation and discussion with all concerned, including special interest bodies such as An Taisce and The Georgian Society, an important building has been recreated, a legacy for generations to come.
The Office of Public Works also has a very successful cultural institutions capital programme. This includes projects carried out to improve the public facilities in buildings under the control of the National Museum such as Turlough Park House in County Mayo and Collins Barracks in Dublin, in addition to an extensive refurbishment programme at the National Library. Owning an historic building is a privilege which carries with it certain responsibilities, the most significant of which is to pass on these buildings intact to future generations. It could be said that we do not own buildings, they own us. We are transient visitors while they are permanent fixtures in the urban scene.
Another significant aspect of the work of the Office of Public Works is the flood relief programme. I am only too well aware of the devastating impact which recurring flooding has had on many parts of the country. I strongly support the implementation of a national priority programme of drainage schemes to alleviate localised flooding problems. Schemes already completed, at works stage or at advanced stages of preparation represent a total capital investment of £100 million. To date, seven flood relief schemes have been completed throughout the country at Mulkear river, County Tipperary, Nanny river, County Meath, Sixmilebridge, County Clare, Ardrahan, County Galway, Gort, County Galway, Maam Valley, County Galway and Mulkear river, Cappamore, Limerick. In addition, four flood relief schemes are currently at construction stage at the following locations: the Bandon at Dunmanway, the Suir at Carrick-on-Suir, the Nore at Kilkenny and at Hazelhatch, County Kildare. A further five relief schemes are at design or feasibility stage on the Suir at Clonmel, which will be launched at a public exhibition next week, the Barrow at Carlow, John's river in Waterford, the Fergus in Ennis and in south Galway. A new programme is being devised with additional schemes being considered for feasibility and design in Cork, Wicklow, Dublin and Wexford.
I will now deal in some detail with the Supplementary Estimate requirements on the Office of Public Works Vote. The gross excess over the original estimate for Vote 10 is £37.018 million. This will be partially offset by savings elsewhere on the Vote of £4.538 million, giving a requirement for a Supplementary Estimate of £32.480 million. I am seeking an additional £9 million for subhead D to provide for the purchase of the former Irish Press offices at 13-14 Burgh Quay at a cost of £27.15 million, plus VAT.
As I have stated previously, the constantly changing situation in relation to the provision of accommodation in an extremely volatile market has created a difficulty in estimating expenditure for property subheads. The original Estimates reflected the anticipated demand for services in these areas and were, of necessity, based on estimated requirements. We have a pressing requirement for office accommodation to house the proposed one-stop-shop for immigration and citizenship. The clients involved, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the naturalisation service of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the Garda National Immigration Bureau have confirmed that the Burgh Quay building is ideal for their requirements because of its location and size.
The property occupies a corner site on Burgh Quay with return frontage to Corn Exchange Place and rear frontage to Poolbeg Street. It is probably the only office development in Dublin city centre with full office use on the ground floor. The accommodation is being refurbished and extended and will provide 4,533 square metres of third generation office accommodation with basement car park. The purchase price includes the refurbishment and adaptation of existing buildings to include air conditioning, two ten person passenger lifts, suspended acoustic tiled ceilings, raised access floors and fully fitted core and reception areas. Given the high rental levels demanded in the vicinity of Burgh Quay, outright purchase of the building is the most advantageous method of acquiring the property.
An additional £4 million is required for rented accommodation under subhead F3. Property and rental prices have clearly risen significantly recently in response to general economic buoyancy. Dublin has the lowest office vacancy rates in Europe at just under 2%. The Office of Public Works currently manages more than one million square metres of accommodation, of which some 23% is leased. Increases following rent reviews in Dublin are currently of the order of 100% to 120% over five years, which equates to 20% to 24% per annum. In some cases, the increase has been closer to 200%. Rented accommodation provides flexibility and the ability to respond immediately to urgent requirements for space, as in the case of the various tribunals of inquiry, expansion of Departments and so on. In 2001, extra costs were incurred for premises required by the Lindsay tribunal and new accommodation for the Department of Foreign Affairs.
I am also seeking an additional £15.894 million under subhead E. The Office of Public Works acts as an agent for almost all Departments and unexpected refurbishment costs have been incurred on new projects at Bishop's Square, Dublin for the Department of Foreign Affairs, at Capel Street for the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and at Abbey Street, for the Civil Service Commission. Heavy demands from client Departments will result in additional and unforeseen expenditure of £8 million on urgent and essential minor new works not provided for in the original Estimate.
An additional £6.878 million is required for maintenance projects under subhead F1. The Office of Public Works made a significant contribution in the fight against the spread of foot and mouth disease. It was one of the first offices to react positively to minimise the threat of the disease. The office has a network of offices throughout the country and was ideally placed to be at the forefront of the State's fight to prevent its spread. One of the significant factors which acted as a preventative measure and raised public awareness of the measures necessary to prevent its spread was the provision of disinfectant mats at public buildjings. This was done swiftly and efficiently through the mobilisation of the resources of the building maintenance services. The huge scale of our efforts was evident in a public manner at the entrance to every State building and office. In addition, the office's local engineering staff were to the forefront in assisting with the removal and disposal of carcasses in the Cooley Peninsula. Their efforts contributed in no small way to the successful containment of the outbreak. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff concerned for their efforts.
One of the group of unsung heroes of this entire exercise is the building and maintenance staff. As can be seen from what I said, they played a very substantial and extensive role in the whole foot and mouth issue. People who were mobilised at very short notice and taken off other work gave their all in this effort, for which I thank them. That is why there was such a big expenditure in regard to the whole issue, including the removal and disposal of carcasses in the Cooley Peninsula. I do not think there was a public perception that the Office of Public Works played such a big role and I am pleased to acknowledge it here this evening.
Other items of additional and unforeseen expenditure were incurred as a result of President Clinton's visit, emergency works at Elizabeth Fort in Cork and refurbishment works at Farmleigh.
The flood event mapping project will give rise to an additional requirement of £511,000 under subhead H1. Following the very serious flooding that occurred in various parts of the country last year, I re-activated the interdepartmental committee to monitor the effects of bad weather that was set up in 1995. Arising from the committee's recommendations, I instructed the Office of Public Works to undertake a number of initiatives that will contribute to addressing the flooding problem countrywide. The principal initiative is a major flood event mapping project that will identify the location and extent of flood-prone areas.
I wish to conclude by thanking members for their attention and to commend the Supplementary Estimate to the committee. I will be very pleased to hear members' views and answer any questions which may arise.
I thank the Minister of State for his statement. He indicated that there is an extensive programme in place to renovate and replace Garda stations throughout the country. Has he looked at an alternative method of proceeding? No doubt as he will be aware, buildings date back a long time in many rural areas. Some of them are structurally sound and stand in rural villages on quite valuable sites. Has the Minister of State considered the possibility of selling these buildings and providing buildings which are purpose-built to suit modern day Garda stations, which do not include residences and so on? He might find that if this was put into the hands of the private sector, the resulting projects might even give a return to the Office of Public Works rather than that office spending time, expertise and money in carrying out the work. From the communication I have had with the Minister of State, I am aware of a particular case where he might get a return from this approach, where people are interested in taking over the existing Garda barracks and providing the Minister of State with a building to his specifications on the site. This would be a quicker way of developing new modern facilities throughout the country. If the Minister of State can lay down the required specifications, it might dramatically strengthen his hand and he might get fantastic value for money. Perhaps he should consider this aspect.
My second point relates to the volume of rented accommodation in Dublin. Some 23% seems to be very high. Is he happy with that amount of rented accommodation in Dublin given that rents are so expensive? Has he considered the possibility of decentralising to areas where he might get accommodation a lot cheaper? He would get top class office accommodation in Mullingar town for approximately £9 a square foot. I am sure the prices being paid in Dublin are much higher.
And in Waterford.
I spoke about going to a good town.
I was referring to a city.
The Minister of State might comment on the volume of space he has rented and whether he feels it is very high.
My next point relates to the foot and mouth outbreak. He mentioned the role the Office of Public Works played in disposing of carcasses and so on. Were any of the carcasses buried, were they all disposed of in rendering plants or what was the method of disposal? If some of them were buried, as happened in Britain, is there an ongoing maintenance programme on the sites to monitor the water course?
On the additional funds to purchase the Irish Press building on Burgh Quay in Dublin for £27.5 million, what procedure is gone through in this regard? Having decided there was a need for additional accommodation, was an advertisement placed in the newspapers seeking tenders for the supply of that accommodation, did the Minister of State seek to buy this property at public auction or was there some kind of tendering arrangement? What was the procedure by which he decided this was a suitable building and how did he arrive at a figure of £27.5 million?
I thank the Minister of State for his contribution. When does he envisage the refurbishment of the Burgh Quay site will be completed? We are all aware, particularly those who queue for passports, that the existing building is totally inadequate. People who wish to renew their passports must queue from perhaps 7 a.m. or try to get into the office in the evening. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has put a lot of emphasis on the provisions at Burgh Quay in the hope that it will bring some sanity to the situation. Perhaps the Minister of State will indicate the timescale envisaged - I hope the building will be up and running quickly.
I note the progress which has been made in regard to the flood relief programme. However, in the context of the nine other schemes which are at various stages of design and construction, when is it expected they will be completed and will further money be required next year in this regard? I also note in my constituency that a very important national road, the N1 between Dublin and Belfast, was out of commission for the best part of a day and a half as a result of the last flooding. In the context of a new programme, how does the Minister of State propose to prioritise further projects? Can we envisage that he will contact local authorities to identify areas that might require attention? This area needs to be addressed. We have seen television reports of the devastation which has taken place in other areas of the country. It is totally unacceptable that the N1 should be out of action and I would like the Minister of State to give a positive response to any application submitted for support in this regard.
I thank Deputy McGrath for his questions and comments. The Garda building programme is very extensive. The Deputy spoke about maximising the values of property and their usage, and we already do that. If there are properties which we can sell and replace by building new accommodation, we will certainly do so. I am aware of the point the Deputy makes. In some instances maximising the use of a property, perhaps by swapping it for a site, has happened. The Garda programme priority list is decided by the Garda Síochána and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, not my office. The roll-out of the programme is in the hands of that Department. Policy decisions regarding those matters are not taken in the Office of Public Works. The Garda decide what properties they want dealt with, moved on or redeveloped, and they give my office their priority list.
Is the Garda priority list based on its accommodation needs? To return to the case I know best, a little annexe has been built onto a fine two storey building which has been allowed to deteriorate, with windows broken and so on. The building is in the middle of a village and looks a sight. In situations such as that the Garda may have adequate accommodation, but have a different agenda - they may wish to close barracks and may let them run down. How can one help the Garda Síochána ensure that the assets of valuable property are realised - the best outcome for the taxpayer - while also providing accommodation? If we do not help them we will have to wait for the Garda themselves to act. How can the Office of Public Works be proactive and make decisions to build rather than spend more money on maintenance?
There is a lot of sense in what the Deputy has said, and I absolutely agree with him. In fact, we already do what he has said. We have drawn up our own list of properties and have informed the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, certainly of the worst cases. These are properties we consider not to be of a sufficient standard to meet the requirements of either the gardaí or the public who have to visit these premises for any reason. My office is very conscious of this matter. The money being provided for this programme is substantial and has increased quite substantially over the years. It is one of the programmes which we have developed very much in recent times. In talking to various people involved I have found there are many different levels in the decision-making process. It involves the local gardaí, the local chief superintendent, the local planning authority, the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and my own office. There is nothing wrong with this but there is no quick solution to many of these problems. There are procedures in place.
There are competing demands within the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. I have indicated to the Department a list of properties with which I feel the Office of Public Works should be doing something. They should be closed if they are not suitable for refurbishment and sold off if there is no need for them and new facilities created. There is a substantial programme in place and we are doing this actively throughout the country. More than 150 buildings have been specified as not viably maintainable in the long-term. The Office of Public Works did a very extensive search of Garda accommodation in 2000. This does not mean these buildings are not workable at the moment. However, looking to the future when new demands and new technology take over, that may change.
Does that not reinforce what I am saying? If 150 buildings have been identified which need to be replaced, the money necessary for this will not be available in the next two or three years, no matter who is in Government. Might it not be a good idea to establish a group within the Office of Public Works which might move on those buildings and bring 150 new Garda stations on stream at very little cost?
I may have pulled a figure out of the air. I do not want to be misleading. There are not 150 buildings which are totally unsuitable. This assessment was made with a very long-term view of where we might go in the future. There is a rolling programme in place. Many of these buildings would have been acted on and some of them have already been worked on. Many of them are very small, almost abandoned one-stop-shop type Garda stations. I am trying to be open with the Deputy and to give him all the information I have in terms of the extensive programme in place. As a general principle the Office of Public Works takes very strict commercial views of all its properties. We act on behalf of the State and the taxpayer so we must be absolutely sure we get the maximum amount of money in return for any properties we operate.
This leads me to the rental accommodation question asked by the Deputy. About 23% of our accommodation is leased. That figure is down from almost 50% some years ago, which was ridiculously high. From my own experience, one would not want that figure to go below 20%. Between 20% and 25% is the rental figure we need to maintain, for flexibility. Many of these properties are not on long-term leases. Owning more than 75% of our portfolio is very important. In the four years I have had responsibility for the Office of Public Works the figure has increased to that level. Five years ago more than 30% of our accommodation was rented. We have been purposefully bringing the figure down and we now have it at the point where it should be kept. Access to roads such as the M50 is important and we have acquired properties in those areas as well.
Other wider national issues need to be addressed and decisions taken on them, and I hope that will happen. The Office of Public Works has not been overly active in pursuing properties in the centre of Dublin unless they have been absolutely necessary. The Burgh Quay property is a clear example and I will come to that in a moment.
I mentioned the Office of Public Works's need for money with regard to the foot and mouth crisis. That was a very big issue for us and we had a huge involvement in it. However, the handling of the animals was a question for the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development. I do not have the information requested by the Deputy - the work was done by that Department and by its vets. I believe most of the carcasses were buried but I would not like to start guessing at figures. I am not being evasive but the Deputy would get accurate information from the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development.
The procedure on the Burgh Quay property is straightforward. As the office responsible for State property we are permanently active in the market. We know from different Departments what their requirements are. It was quite obvious, given the use which will be made of the Burgh Quay property, that we were looking for a rare type of property in terms of size, scale, location and what it could deliver. It became clear early on that Burgh Quay, a newly refurbished building, was a possibility. It will be ready next May when we will take possession. It is a massive building for which we paid less than we might have elsewhere.
How did the Department decide on that building? Were tenders sought? Did it go to public auction? How did the Department know that the building was available? Was the Minister approached? Was it an Irish Press building?
No, it was sold by The Irish Press to The Irish Times to a property developer from whom we bought it. The Dublin market is a live one in which we might buy property at auction, through a tender or other means. If we are building ourselves, we must comply with the European tendering procedures.
What did the Department do in this case?
We trawled the market and became aware that it was available.
Were Office of Public Works or the owners trawling?
We were actively seeking property in Dublin. The Taoiseach and the Minister answered questions in the Dáil on this issue as there was much pressure to get suitable accommodation for this centre. It was public knowledge that the State needed a property and it was approached. We looked at it and negotiated a reasonable price. We looked at many buildings.
Was there an independent valuation?
I do not know.
I would be amazed if there was not one.
We have our own valuers who are paid for by the State. They are the best in the country and they will not overprice property. The Dublin market is live and we are in and out of it almost on a weekly basis, selling, leasing, getting out of leases and buying.
The flood schemes are in place. There is a priority list which has been added to because of events in 2000. The Deputy made an important point which I emphasise. It is not that we ask local authorities what we can do for them, but that the primary responsible authority is the local one. Local authorities come to the Office of Public Works with problems and ask the Office of Public Works to act on their behalf, that is, they are the clients. If we can, we work up a scheme through our expertise to solve a problem and it is up to a local authority to decide whether to go ahead with it. In some big English cities, like York, they decided not to put in schemes but to live with the floods. An Irish local authority can make the same choice.
I would not like that.
Does the Department provide finance for a scheme?
We fund the entire scheme. Due to their nature, the lead in time is measured in years. I will be in Clonmel, where there has been flooding for years, with the public exhibition of that scheme. Work has been going on for three years between the local authority's engineers, the Office of Public Works's engineers and the independent consultants. Research into the work and its consequences must be done over at least two years' seasons as we must take into account an unusually dry winter or wet summer, for example. We must have EIS reports and public exhibitions and be able to answer all the questions. There is no point implementing a multi-million pound project which will not work. However, we have delivered many schemes on the priority list.
A few months ago, the Office of Public Works advertised in the Laois media for new offices in Portlaoise to house the new agricultural appeals agency. As part of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, the Government promised to have this up and running as quickly as possible. In recent weeks the hope has been expressed in farming publications that it will be ready in December or January. Will the Minister update us on this matter?
An important historic house and demesne, Ballyfin, has come on the market in County Laois. Will the Minister agree to meet a delegation of Deputies from the county to discuss its possible use by the State?
I have a note on the Deputy's first question. The Office of Public Works is seeking suitable space to meet the agency's requirements but we cannot proceed until we get finance sanction in principle. The Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development has sanction for agency staff to be located in Portlaoise.
Will the Supplementary Estimates procedure this week unlock the process?
That will not affect it. If the Deputy is asking if we need another Supplementary Estimate, the answer is "no".
Will the Minister meet a delegation about Ballyfin?
That request has just arrived on my desk and my staff are looking into it. It may be more suitable for the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, but, if it is relevant to my Department, I will try to meet the Deputies out of courtesy.
The Minister of State did not answer me before about the old Garda station in Dublin Street, Longford, which has been lying derelict for many years and was vandalised. It occupies a prominent position in the town. Will the Minister tell me what plans he has for it? Will he sell it or has it already been sold?
I wish I could give the Deputy a definitive answer.
Will the Minister undertake to obtain the information for me?
I will, I think the building may have already been sold but I am not sure. It may be empty because it no longer belongs to us but I will check it out.
It is an eyesore in the town.
I promise to inform the Deputy of the exact position as soon as possible.
The Minister stated that in York and similar places in England there was nothing more that could be done about potential flooding. A lot of flooding takes place as a result of house building in certain areas, of which Leixlip is a recent example. I know it is local authorities that give permission for housing estates to be built but does the Office of Public Works contact local authorities to point out that available drainage space will not be adequate for additional housing?
The Deputy has raised an important point. Some authorities contact the Office of Public Works and seek information and also provide information in order that the Office of Public Works can assess major projects. Other local authorities take the view that they can do as they please. Bad planning permissions have been granted which have resulted in serious problems. Some developers have developed land without putting in proper facilities for run-offs. The blame cannot be placed on local authorities alone and must also be placed on some private sector developers.
The Department has attempted to alert local authorities to these problems. We have issued circulars urging them to contact the Office of Public Works for advice when considering works and we will happily provide free advice particularly in the case of new bridges being built or old ones being upgraded or altered. It was a grave disappointment to everybody to find some of the new roadways flooded while old roads were accessible. It is intolerable that proper culverts were not put at the side of the roads. That is unacceptable.
We have gone further and written to the NRA urging it to contact the Office of Public Works for advice.
The Minister should point out to the NRA that it engages consultants at huge cost to prepare plans for new roads and if the roads are subsequently flooded the NRA should be able to go back to the consultants and ask why this happened. This problem arose with the road out of Kilcock and I went back to the NRA on it. The NRA came up with a convoluted story about the blockage notbeing on the road but further down. Consultants are brought in to do the job and they should be held responsible when the road floods. They should be surcharged when they get it wrong.
I have taken a serious view of this. Under section 50 of the Arterial Drainage Bill, the Office of Public Works is responsible where bridge construction is taking place. This involves many of the new roads with their crossovers etc. We have sent a brochure to all involved stating that they are legally obliged to come to us wherever these works are being carried out. They were not all doing that. Some were but many were either unaware or pretending to be unaware of the necessity to consult us and we have seen the results of that in recent times. We are happy to facilitate local authorities and provide information.
We intend to look at the flood risk mapping issue. It is a complex and detailed matter and we plan to map the entire country. In Tullamore last week at the opening of a conference on the hydrometric institute, the first digitalised maps for the Shannon area were introduced. These were produced following the flooding and are now imposed on the ordnance survey maps. This is the type of flood mapping we need. There is an enormous amount of information available which the Office of Public Works is happy to provide and local authorities should seek it. If they carried out their obligation, everybody would be a winner.
Incidentally, I mentioned the city of York earlier but should have said Shrewsbury.
How far have Fermoy and Mallow advanced up the ladder with regard to attention on the flooding issue?
I am happy to say that the file on Fermoy and Mallow is active in the office. It is the first of the new ones that came in and we are actively engaged with the local authority. Advertisements were placed in the Official Journal of the European Community inviting submissions for provision of full engineering consultancy service on proposed flood relief schemes for both Mallow and Fermoy. Submissions have now been received and are currently being assessed by officials of the Office of Public Works. An appointment will be made in the near future.
Will the Minister send me a note to that effect?
Will there be an official turning of the sod before May?
Unfortunately, no, much as the Chairman or I might like it. They are complex schemes and it will be some years before they get to that. We will still be in office so it will not matter.
Does Waterways Ireland come within the Minister's remit?
No. It is a new all-Ireland body. It was not born out of this Department.
Which Minister has responsibility for it?
It is the responsibility of the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands.
We shall move now to Vote 2.
The Estimate provides for the salaries and expenses of the Houses of the Oireachtas, grants-in-aid for interparliamentary activities, the British-Irish Interparliamentary Body, former Members pension fund and salaries, and pensions for the Irish Members of the European Parliament. The Supplementary Estimate required is £4.285 million. The need for this Supplementary Estimate arises primarily from the increases required to meet expenses relating to the sub-committees of inquiry - the Abbeylara incident and the mini-CTC - amounting to an estimated increase of £1.456 million. It is needed also to meet increases in salaries and allowances payable to Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas and contributions to the Members' pension fund. I understand members of the committee were circulated with explanations so I do not propose to go any further.
Are there any questions?
Weeks of work went into the preparation of this, Chairman, so I am sure the members are happy.
