I beg to move—
That a sum, not exceeding £810, be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1924, to repay to the Contingency Fund certain miscellaneous advances.
The Contingency Fund was established in 1923-24 by the vote of a grant in aid of £20,000. The fund is placed at the disposal of the Executive Council to defray urgent or unforeseen expenditure not covered by the ordinary Votes and for which it may be impracticable to seek the immediate approval of the Dáil. The Minister for Finance may make advances from the fund to meet deficiencies on ordinary Votes or for new services. All advances from the fund will be repayable to the fund from the appropriate ordinary Votes, if there is a Vote in existence in respect of the service. Where the service is not covered by an ordinary Vote the advances will be paid from the repayment to the Contingency Fund Vote.
The Estimate, I think, contains particulars of all the advances made. Senator McPartlin was in Geneva representing the Saorstát when he died. The expenses of his funeral were, consequently, very high, and were a proper charge to be borne by the State. A grant-in-aid of the Irish section of the inter-Parliamentary Union was felt to be proper assistance, and one which would give benefits to the State commensurate with the very small expenditure involved. The last item is really a book-keeping item. It is simply a payment to the Revenue Commissioners in respect of stamp duties payable on deeds and other documents. It is a matter just of transferring money from one pocket to another, but it is put down just to show that things have been accurately kept.
