I beg to move: "That a sum, not exceeding £7,135, be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st March, 1924, for expenditure in respect of the Public Record Office" (£3,500 had already been voted on account).
COMMITTEE ON FINANCE—ESTIMATES FOR PUBLIC SERVICES. - PUBLIC RECORDS.
Mr. O'HIGGINS
It may be right before that vote is taken to explain that when the estimates were being prepared the existing staff at the time were provided for. Some have retired since, and their places have not been filled. Many others have been lent or seconded to other Departments. The present staff consists of 2 Assistant Deputy Keepers; 2 Clerks and 5 Searchers. People might wonder, in view of the destruction of the Four Courts, why a vote of that amount would be needed for the Public Record Office, but there is a bare skeleton staff there at the moment. The others have been lent to other Departments.
Question put, and agreed to.
I do not think that I will take up the other two estimates now. I will read the list of the estimates I propose to take to-morrow, and if there be any objection to taking them, I can hold them over. The numbers are 42, 43, 51, 52, 53, 54, 58, and then 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 18, 31, 33, 35, 38, 46, 47 and 48.
The coupling of the estimates for education and the army on the same afternoon along with other estimates, is, I suggest, undesirable. I anticipate that there will be considerable discussion on the education estimates, and also on the army estimates, notwithstanding the fact that we have nothing to go on in the way of details as to army expenditure. It would be well, I think, not to have both on the same day.
Very good, I will take either the army estimates to-morrow or the education estimates, whichever the Dáil prefers.
We understood that the education estimates would be taken to-morrow.
Very well, I will leave the Army Estimates over until Friday.