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Gnáthamharc

Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 26 Apr 1922

Vol. S2 No. 4

APPENDIX TO REPORT. - DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE.

These accounts cover the period from January 1st to April 10th and, with your permission, a Chinn Comhairle, I will only read the first page. The figures given after that will be very much plainer if you go into them yourselves. The first page of the report is as follows:—

INTERIM ACCOUNTS, JANUARY 1ST, 1922, TO APRIL 10TH, 1922.

The Drawings of the Departments for the period amount to £113,244 2s. 0d., of which the Trustees advanced £82,315 14s. 10d., and the Department of Finance the balance, viz., £30,928 7s. 2d. The Cash Summary of the Department of Finance shows Receipts as follows: Refunds, £10,955 19s. 3d.; Revenue, £6,593 1s. 9d.; Other Receipts, £1,113 12s. 4d.—£18,662 13s. 4d., which with £12,265 13s. 10d., amount of temporary Bank Overdraft, equals the Cash advanced on behalf of the Trustees.

Whilst the Departments, generally speaking, have kept within their Estimates, the following remarks will apply:—

Belfast Boycott Expenditure includes £1,660 for compensation to the members of the staff whose services were discontinued.

Irish Race Conference.—£4,700 charged in this period, with £1,513 paid out up to 31st December last, brings the total paid out to date to £6,213, against which the following Refunds have been made, viz.:—£250 and £184 4s. 4d. The disbursing of this Fund has been in the hands of several people, and an effort is being made to get the accounts consolidated and put in order. £250 has been received from South Africa as a subscription in this matter.

Local Government Department.—An increase in the rate of pay to the Auditors and Inspectors has been in force since 1st February, 1922. This increase was not provided for in the Estimates presented, but has been sanctioned by the Cabinet. The Departmental Expenditure includes a sum of £258 0s. 0d. towards the relief in Tory Island, and £750 0s. 0d. towards the cost of the recovery of Rates in County Sligo.

President's Department.—A sum of £400 0s. 0d. included in the outlay for this period is in respect of expenses previously incurred, of which sum £150 14s. 0d. has been refunded, as shown in cash account.

Ministerial Salaries.—Attention is drawn to the Refunds from the following Ministers, included in the Department of Finance Cash Account, viz.:—L.T. Mac Cosgair, Micheal O Coileain, Caoimhin O hUigin, Seosamh Mag Craith, and P.S. O hOgain. These Ministers have not drawn any salaries since 15th January last.

Ministry of Defence Expenditure.— With reference to a question which was asked on the Estimates for the half-year regarding debts due by the West Mayo Brigade, it is to be noted that a sum of £3,900 was paid under the Defence Expenditure in discharge of the debts due by that Brigade. In the return made by the Defence Department, it appears that this sum was the total amount claimed by the Divisional Adjutant. I understand the matter is being more fully dealt with by the Minister for Defence.

Trustees' Account.—The Balance in hands, £201,944 8s. 4d., includes £1,660 7s. 5d.—being balance on current account with the Sinn Féin Bank (now in Liquidation) and the balance at the London Office. The Auditor in reporting on the Accounts to 31st December last stated he had not been able to vouch London Office Accounts, and I had arranged that he should go to London on the 20th instant, but this arrangement has had to be postponed by the Auditor owing to the death of a near relative.

Final Summary.—This includes Balance in U.S.A. The last Account received from U.S.A. is written up to 28th February, and the balance on hands there on that date was $2,457,223 .18, from which I have deducted the following:—General Reserve, $500,000 .00; Bank, $100,000.00; Reserve for Loss on Securities, $48,769.05; Reserve for Second Loan, $122,967.54—(Total Reserve Funds, $771,736.59), and a sum of $30,000.00 for the Estimated Outlay in U.S.A. for the period since 28th February, leaving a Balance of $1,655,486.59, which, calculated at $4.50 to the £, gives £367,885 18s. 0d. available in U.S.A. I have recommended to the Trustees that the Cash in U.S.A. should be kept in the Federal Banks in the names of the Trustees jointly, and I recommend that the “Bearer” Certificates should be converted into Registered Stock or Certificates, where possible.

Seizure of Dáil Property.—I have to report that furniture to the value of £42 (Typewriter, £32, and Typist's Table, £10) was taken from the office of the Minister for Fine Arts. No satisfactory explanation was received by this Department. The Minister responsible treated the matter most casually, and did not appear to be willing to give any real assistance in discovering the reason for the disappearance of the furniture.

Furniture to the value of £139 7s. 6d. (3 Typewriters and 1 Gestetner Rotary Machine) was taken from the Commission of Inquiry under the Department of Trade. This seizure took place on the 31st March, when the furniture was being removed to the office of the Canal Commission; three armed men seeing one of the typewriters on a cart seized it and demanded to know where the other two typewriters and the Gestetner Rotary Machine were; they subsequently located the machines and seized them.

A bicycle, the property of the Department of Trade, was taken by the Messenger of that Department on his leaving to join the forces in possession of the Four Courts.—Mícheál O Coileáin, Aire Airgid. 21adh Aibreáin, 1922.

I may remark about this Irish Race Conference that of course the accounts must be in order before the end of the half year. I did not unduly press them as these are only interim accounts. The difficulty arises from the fact that money was paid to several persons. Some of these people took longer time to furnish accounts than others.

The particular reason for mentioning Ministry of Defence Expenditure here is that it arose out of a question at the last Session. As regards the reference to the Trustees account, that should be read in the light of the reference at the last session of the Dáil.

There is one reference I might make to the Sinn Féin Bank. I mentioned it as being in liquidation. On a former occasion I made reference to the Sinn Féin Bank. The Liquidator has supplied me with an interim report and when the matter is completed a full report will be furnished. I have also a report which it was not possible for me to have incorporated in my general reports owing to the death of a near relative of our official auditor. I will read it:—

SUPERVISOR REGISTRAR OF FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

This Office was created on 1st January 1922 for the purpose of receiving and registering the annual Returns of Societies formed under the Friendly and Provident Societies' Acts, and of sanctioning the formation of new Societies if their objects were approved and their prospects considered satisfactory. The duties also include an examination into the financial conditions of each Society as shown in the Annual Return—its stability, working expenses, allocation of funds, investments, etc. The financial year of all Societies ends on the 31st December in each year, and the Annual Return is to be filed—in some cases any time prior to 31st March, and in other cases 31st May in the succeeding year, but penalties were hardly ever imposed for default in filing returns at proper time. At time of writing only one Annual Return has come to hand.

The Societies for which supervision is required more particularly are those relating to Life Insurance, as in the case of mismanagement or financial instability it is the poorer members of the community who suffer. These persons require protection, as individually or collectively they are unable to alter the conditions of affairs existing in the Society which they joined from motives of thrift, canvassers of rival collecting societies help to bevilder them by inducing them to leave their original society and join a new one, and it is often found afterwards that the change made has been to the disadvantage of the assured. The Societies themselves who permit this canvassing to take place are doing so to their own detriment— they accept onerous risks, their working expenses are increased, and their financial position impaired. This Department has recommended that fresh legislation to deal with matters regarding Life Assurance be passed, and notes of the recommendations have been forwarded to the Legal Advisers.

The financial statements attached to Mr. Collins' Report were as follows:—

Advances by Trustees for period from 1st January, 1922 to 10th April, 1922.

Paid Out by Department of Finance on Behalf of Trustees for period from 1st January, 1922, to 10th April, 1922.

TOTAL

£

s.

d.

£

s.

d.

£

s.

d.

£

s.

d.

£

s.

d.

AGRICULTURE, DEPT. OF:—

Departmental

809

5

4

140

0

0

Salaries

1,032

11

10

1

5

2

Ministers

69

17

10

1,911

15

0

141

5

2

2,053

0

2

FISHERIES, DEPT. OF:—

Departmental

157

17

10

Salaries

78

0

0

13

0

0

Minister

41

13

4

277

11

2

13

0

0

290

11

2

BOYCOTT, DEPT. OF:—

Departmental

3,536

8

9

66

15

10

Directors

153

4

6

3,689

13

3

66

15

10

3,756

9

1

DEFENCE, DEPT. OF:—

Departmental

30,400

0

0

15,262

8

3

Salaries

172

0

0

50

0

0

Minister

104

3

4

30,676

3

4

15,312

8

3

45,988

11

7

EDUCATION, DEPT. OF:—

Departmental

2,144

18

1

1,240

0

0

Salaries

141

0

0

38

0

0

Minister and Assistant

190

14

6

2,476

12

7

1,278

3,754

12

7

FINE ARTS, DEPT. OF:—

Minister

41

13

4

41

13

4

41

13

4

FINANCE, DEPT. OF:—

Departmental

164

6

7

91

12

0

Salaries

782

13

1

105

0

0

Minister

41

13

4

988

13

0

196

12

10

1,185

5

10

Printing and Stationery

76

3

3

2

2

6

Furniture

188

0

0

29

10

0

Loan Expenses

38

0

9

124

0

0

302

4

0

155

12

6

457

16

6

REGISTRAR OF FRIENDLY SOCIETIES:—

Departmental

17

11

0

Salaries

125

0

0

142

11

0

142

11

0

FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEPT. OF:—

Departmental

694

18

11

110

0

0

Salaries

526

11

5

52

16

2

Minister

131

0

0

Save the Children Fund (Russia)

1,000

0

0

1,352

10

4

1,162

16

2

2,515

6

6

Paris:—

Departmental

1,500

0

0

Salaries

107

19

10

17

0

2

1,607

19

10

17

0

2

1,625

0

0

Forward

£43,467

6

10

£18,343

10

11

£61,810

17

9

Rome:

Departmental

500

0

0

Salaries

125

0

0

625

0

0

625

0

0

Geneva:

Departmental

250

0

0

250

0

0

250

0

0

250

0

0

500

0

0

U.S.A. (Home Outlay):

Departmental

450

0

0

1,370

0

0

Salaries

73

0

8

523

0

8

1,370

0

0

1,893

0

8

Berlin:

Departmental

800

0

0

Salaries

102

5

8

800

0

0

102

5

8

902

5

8

Madrid:

Departmental

500

0

0

250

0

0

Salaries

90

15

9

590

15

9

250

0

0

840

15

9

Irish Race Conference

4,700

0

0

4,700

0

0

4,700

0

0

London Office

756

17

11

1,243

2

1

756

17

11

1,243

2

1

2,000

0

0

Argentine (Chile)

600

0

0

600

0

0

600

0

0

HOME AFFAIRS DEPT. OF:—

Departmental

1,193

4

2

Salaries

482

3

8

63

12

2

Ministers and Assistant

146

10

1

Police (Special)

3,850

0

0

1,900

0

0

Courts

1,332

14

4

96

18

7

Relief Bureau

55

0

0

16

10

0

7,059

12

3

2,077

0

6

9,136

13

0

LABOUR, DEPT. OF:—

Departmental

400

15

5

220

0

0

Salaries

362

3

4

40

5

0

Ministers

69

17

10

832

16

7

260

5

0

1,093

1

7

LIAISON OFFICE

5,204

1

6

5,204

6

1

5,204

6

1

LOCAL, GOVERNMENT, DEPT. OF:—

Departmental

1,330

12

6

Salaries

1,136

0

0

1,015

13

2

Ministers

93

2

11

250

9

2

Inspectors

3,034

7

6

Auditors

1,611

2

10

Doctors

339

4

11

Commissioners

116

13

4

7,661

4

0

1,266

2

4

8,927

6

4

PUBLICITY, DEPT. OF:—

Departmental

724

1

7

167

13

3

Salaries

292

0

0

38

7

6

Minister

125

0

0

1,141

1

7

206

0

9

1,347

2

4

PRESIDENT'S OFFICE:—

Departmental

590

12

11

7

13

2

Salaries

197

12

11

8

10

8

Ministers

200

0

0

988

5

10

16

3

10

1,004

9

8

Forward

£74,600

7

6

£25,984

11

4

£100,584

18

10

SECRETARIAT:—

Departmental

533

4

1

Salaries

546

4

7

0

1

1

1,079

8

8

0

1

1

1,079

9

9

TRADE, DEPT. OF:—

Departmental

948

17

9

155

0

0

Salaries

396

0

0

67

10

0

Minister

125

0

0

1,469

17

9

222

10

0

1,692

7

9

Brussels:

Departmental

392

8

10

250

0

0

Salaries

241

10

0

187

10

0

633

18

10

437

10

0

1,071

8

10

Paris:

Departmental

557

15

0

Salaries

187

10

0

187

10

0

745

5

0

187

10

0

932

15

0

Genoa:

Departmental

Salaries

50

0

0

50

0

0

50

0

0

50

0

0

100

0

0

Berlin:

Departmental

96

6

6

Salaries

187

10

0

187

10

0

283

16

6

187

10

0

471

6

6

COMMISSION OF ENQUIRY

531

1

9

531

1

9

531

1

9

ECONOMICS, DEPT. OF:—

Salaries

100

0

0

Minister

41

13

4

141

13

4

141

13

4

TAILLTEAN GAMES

500

0

0

500

0

0

500

0

0

PEACE NEGOTIATIONS

300

0

0

300

0

0

300

0

0

ULSTER SUB-COMMISSION:—

Departmental

100

0

0

7

13

3

Salaries

37

0

0

4

0

0

137

0

0

11

13

3

148

13

3

DEPUTIES' TRAVELLING

EXPENSES

1,325

9

8

SPECIAL ALLOWANCES TO

1,325

9

8

1,325

9

8

DEPUTIES

479

3

4

1,020

16

8

479

3

4

1,020

16

8

1,500

0

0

PROPERTY

38

12

6

38

12

6

38

12

6

LIBRARY:—

Purchases

50

0

0

Salaries

83

6

8

133

6

8

133

6

8

“FREEMAN'S JOURNAL,” LTD.:—

Employees' Salaries—two weeks

2,692

18

2

2,692

18

2

2,692

18

2

£82,315

14

10

£30,928

7

2

£113,244

2

0

SUMMARY OF CASH ACCOUNT OF DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE

For period from 1st January, 1922, to 10th April, 1922.

£

s.

d.

£

s.

d.

£

s.

d.

£

s.

d.

£

s.

d.

TO REFUNDS, VIZ:

TOTAL DISBURSEMENT, PER STATEMENT

113,244

2

0

Agriculture, Department of

8

12

7

Defence, Department of

4,890

4

6

Economics, Department of

50

0

0

Less:

Finance, Department of

171

14

8

ADVANCED BY TRUSTEES

82,315

14

10

Finance, Department of, Sundry Departments, Salaries, Adjustment Account

127

4

7

30,928

7

2

Foreign Affairs, Department of

868

7

3

Irish Race Conference, Paris

434

4

4

Boycott, Department of

494

16

9

Home Affairs, Department of

38

11

0

Local Government, Department of

8

10

0

Publicity, Department of

21

0

0

President's Office

150

14

0

Allowances to Deputies

1

15

4

Loan Expenses

4

14

7

Ulster Commission

129

3

6

Defence Commission

381

0

0

Economics Commission

163

15

0

7,944

8

1

REFUNDS OF MINISTERIAL SALARIES

Local Government

20

16

8

Finance

20

16

8

Economics

20

16

8

Labour

20

16

8

Agriculture

28

4

6

111

11

2

OTHER REFUNDS, VIZ:

Roscommon County Council Loan

2,500

0

0

Rathmines Comhairle Ceanntair

200

0

0

Liam Pedlar Case

200

0

0

2,900

0

0

REVENUE, VIZ:

Agriculture, Department of

506

7

0

Boycott, Department of

619

14

0

Home Affairs, Department of

4,325

19

5

Local Government (Audit Fees)

978

15

10

Interest on Loans

162

5

6

6,593

1

9

RENTS RECEIVED

10

0

0

SALE OF PROPERTY

853

12

4

SOUTH AFRICAN SUBSCRIPTION TO IRISH RACE CONFERENCE

250

0

0

18,662

13

4

BALANCE, BRING BANK OVERDRAFT

12,265

13

10

£30,928

7

2

£30,928

7

2

TRUSTEES' ACCOUNT FOR THE PERIOD 1st JANUARY to 10th APRIL, 1922.

RECEIPTS

£

s.

d.

DISBURSEMENTS

£

s.

d.

Balance at 1st January, 1922

237,603

18

9

Minister of Finance on Requisitions 132, 138, 138a and 145

82,315

14

10

Cash Returned by the English (seized by them)

23,693

6

2

Secretary's Salary

125

0

0

Less Amounts handed to Departments

2,433

12

9

Petty Cash

10

0

0

21,259

13

5

Loan:

Home (less £10, unpaid cheque, Carlow)

362

0

0

U.S.A., remitted from

1,063

0

4

1,425

0

4

Self Determination Fund (including Australia £22,524)

22,571

7

6

Interest Received

1,519

9

8

Suspense Inwards

15

13

6

Balance

201,944

8

4

£284,395

3

2

£284,395

3

2

FINAL SUMMARY.

£

s.

d.

Balance in hands of Trustees

201,944

8

4

Balance in U.S.A.

367,885

18

0

569,830

6

4

Less:

Bank Overdraft Department of Finance

12,265

13

10

£557,564

12

6

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