I move: "That a sum not exceeding £99,000 be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the charge which will come in the course of payment during the year ending 31st March, 1924, for the Ireland. Developing Grant (Grant in Aid)." (A sum of £60,500 had been voted on account).
COMMITTEE ON FINANCE. - ESTIMATES FOR PUBLIC SERVICES. IRELAND DEVELOPMENT GRANT.
Before going on with that, can we have some intimation as to when the previous Estimates are to be taken?
56, 57 and 31?
Yes.
If the Deputy wishes I will put them down for the first day we are taking on Estimates, but at any time that a Deputy desires to have an Estimate postponed we have always agreed to do so. I propose to take them on the first day we are considering the Estimates after to-day.
When is that likely to be?
To-morrow, I should say.
On this Ireland Development Grant I would like to know exactly where we are. We have just inserted in the Land Bill Schedule an amendment including amongst the Acts which are repealed the Ireland Development Grant Act. Assuming that the Bill passes and becomes law, which I think is a fair assumption, where do we stand in regard to this Vote?
With regard to the three items that are mentioned, that is No. IIIA., "Ireland Development Grant (Grant in Aid), provision for Statutory Charges on the Ireland Development Grant," these moneys will be required. The particular distribution of them might be different, but the moneys will be required. As regards No. II. `To the Public Trustee for the account of Trinity College, Dublin," that is already dealt with. And as regards No. III., that is an item which, as I explained already, is inserted as a provisional arrangement, pending the ultimate adjustment of the Excess Stock and Bonus account, and it is an agreement without prejudice to the ultimate settlement, a temporary agreement for the year. I think the sum in question was £160,000 altogether. A portion of it is taken out of another Vote, and this £134,000 is inserted in this Vote, making up the agreed sum of £160,000, which was undertaken at the last Financial Conference that we had in London, to be the contribution from the Saorstát towards the service of Excess and Bonus Stock, so that although the moneys in question may not be administered by these bodies which it is proposed to repeal under the Act, they would nevertheless be required by some other body which would discharge the functions that had been ordinarily discharged, or to deal with the Fund called the Ireland Development Fund.
I raised this question because I have rather assumed from the note that I have put to this Vote that it has been postponed because of an intention, perhaps, to deal with this Vote under a different head, in view of the intentions of the Land Bill. I take it that the money will be required in any case.
The money will be required.
It is not to be assumed that merely because we have a proviso abolishing the Ireland Development Grant Act that therefore we are saving the money?
That is so, unfortunately. I wish it were otherwise.
Question put and agreed to.