The amount of this Estimate is £47,100. I move the adoption of the Estimate.
DAIL IN COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC ESTIMATES. - DÁIL EIREANN.
There are some points in this Estimate to which I would like some answers. Under the head of the staff of the Dáil I find under (d) "Travelling and Incidental Expenses." I would like to know what exactly is the nature of the travelling and incidental expenses under that head—i.e., for the staff of the Dáil, not for the Teachtai. There is another item on p. 2 (a) the “Salaries and Allowances.” I find “payment of expenses at the rate of £30 a month to Teachtai not in receipt of salaries as Ministers or officers of the Dáil.” What officers are referred to? Further down I notice under heading (c) “two translators.” Are these translators for the translation of English into Irish or Irish into English? Or are they translators of other languages. Then, there is also further down provision for “special allowances to staff; additional clerical assistance, typing, etc.” amounting to about £3,000. What are these for? One would have thought if the Dáil is properly staffed that these duties could be done by the staff without getting extra clerical or other assistance. I need not say that I am not opposed to the employment of anybody who is required, or, indeed, for that matter to the proper remuneration of those clerks and others who are connected with the Dáil. Then under (d) on p. 2 I notice “Travelling and Incidental Expenses—Travelling Expenses of officers and messengers of the Dáil.” It is not much, but I am curious just to know what it is about. Before I sit down I think I ought to say something with reference to some of the matters that have arisen during the year. Like everybody else the whole reporting and clerical staff of the Dáil have been working under great difficulties. But I think that after three or four months that the mechanical difficulty should have very largely disappeared. However, I do not want in any way to make anything like a personal objection or an attack on any of the officials of the Dáil, but I think it is a grievous thing, perhaps to those of us who talk the Gaodhluinn—I think it is rather a grievous thing that the Irish reporting in the Dáil is not up to the standard which it ought to be. I think there is so little Irish spoken in the Dáil that the little that is spoken, even though it is very bad, and not at all classic Irish, ought to get a fair chance. I think these things should be attended to, and I hope the Minister will answer on the points that I have raised.
I did not hear all the Deputy has been saying about the whole of the Estimate. This is a provisional estimate. It is the first time an estimate of this sort has been put before the Dáil, and it is provisional, and purely, or, at least, to some extent an arbitrary figure. Some items put down may not be required. This Vote, although it is down under the Ministry of Finance, does not, properly speaking, come under the Ministry of Finance, because the Ministry of Finance does not exercise the same control over this Vote as it would over other Votes. In the ordinary way appointments made here would be subject to review and examination and decision by the Ministry of Finance, but Deputies can quite understand that anything in the way of interference with the rights of this Dáil would be resented, and probably the Minister for Finance would be deposed if the Ministry were to exercise any such supervision. I do not think it would be reasonable to expect that a regular Estimate should be presented for the Dáil until after the end of the coming financial year—that is to say, the Estimate for the year 1924-25. If some of these amounts had not been included the position would be this, that if the Dáil desired to send any one of its officials to any part of the country, or even to any part of the city, there would be no fund out of which the expenses could be provided, and this Estimate is to provide for any such contingency. It is for this purpose that this provisional Estimate has been struck. As regards the Ministers or officers of the Dáil referred to in the Estimate, the only officers that I know are the Chairman and the Deputy-Chairman. I will make inquiries into that matter.
I would like to know under what head the Minister has made provision for the housing of the Dáil. I notice there is no provision made for the housing of the Parliament, and if he is coming to any arrangements about this matter, perhaps he would inform the Dáil.
I do not quite understand the point. Is it for some institution other than this?
I want to know is provision made for any institution? I do not understand the position we occupy here.
We are here by the courtesy of the Royal Dublin Society, and whatever expenses have been incurred have been discharged by the Board of Works. They have not been very considerable. If the Deputy meant was there any other institution under consideration, I would say that there is another institution under consideration, but the information in connection with it is not sufficiently complete to admit of its being presented to the Dáil.
One matter the Minister might like to take an opportunity of mentioning is that the Estimate is purely for Dáil Eireann, which is really only one House of the Oireachtas. I presume expenses will be required between now and the end of March for the other House. How exactly is it proposed to meet the expenses of both Houses?
I have explained that up to this, that this Dáil, until the 6th December, is only concerned with expenditure up to that date. Any expenditure that will be required after that will be put before the Dáil in the form of a Supplementary Estimate.
Motion made and question put: "That the Dáil in Committee, having considered the Estimates for Dáil Eireann in 1922-23, and having passed a Vote on Account of £27,000 for the period to the 6th December, 1922, recommend that the full Estimate of £47,100 for the financial year 1922-23 be adopted in due course by the Oireachtas."
Agreed.