I move:—
Go ndeontar suim bhreise ná raghaidh thar £7,950 chun íoctha an Mhuirir a thiocfidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31adh lá de Mhárta, 1930, chun íocaíochtanna fé Acht na mBóthar Iarainn, 1924, fén Tramways and Public Companies (Ireland) Act, 1883, etc.; agus chun crícheanna eile a bhaineann le hIompar in Eirinn.
That a supplementary sum not exceeding £7,950 be granted to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1930, for payments under the Railways Act, 1924, the Tramways and Public Companies (Ireland) Act, 1883, etc.; and for other purposes connected with Irish transport.
There are two items in this. One is in respect of the acquisition of land for colliery railways. The additional sum required is £2,200. For years past we included an item of £1,000 introduced always in the nature of a token Vote because there can be no finality with regard to it. The schemes had been all brought before the solicitors concerned and the bills of costs finally scaled. These colliery railways have been absorbed into the undertaking of the Great Southern Railways as from 1st January, 1929, but it was on the condition that all out-standing claims would be liquidated by the Government. It is estimated that this amount now asked for will end all this long drawn out litigation with regard to the title of the land which really was compulsorily acquired for the purposes of these areas, but there are still outstanding a few minor claims, and I propose to include a token Vote in connection with small outstanding items which will come to be provided.
With regard to the other item, it is usually a sum which varies according to the amount necessary to be advanced to the Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway service working two or three small lines in County Donegal. The sum which we are recommending as payment to this line is £5,750. I think it will be noticed that £2,500 has been advanced from the Contingency Fund in respect of this sum, and a repayment of that Vote must be paid. The amounts paid since 1924 run in the following way: in 1924 there was paid £7,240; in 1925 and 1926 there was £7,000 paid in each of these years; in 1927 there was £6,000, and in 1928 £5,600. This year, unfortunately, marks an increase, and it is to meet that that we introduce this. This is on the understanding that the Northern Government foots a bill of a similar amount. The whole working of the line and the whole expenditure has been under careful inspection. The expenditure for the last year as compared with the year before shows a decrease of £5,000. Nevertheless traffic has fallen off, mainly due to the operation of road competition, and this amount is absolutely essential if railway communications are to be maintained in the Donegal district.