Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 8 Apr 1937

Vol. 66 No. 4

Committee on Finance. - Vote 9—Commissions and Special Inquiries.

Mr. Derrig

I move:—

Go ndeontar suim ná raghaidh thar £7,072 chun slánuithe na suime is gá chun íoctha an Mhuirir a thiocfaidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31adh lá de Mhárta, 1938, chun Tuarastail agus Costaisí eile Coimisiún, Coistí agus Fiosrúchán Speisialta.

That a sum not exceeding £7,072 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 day of March, 1938, for the Salaries and other Expenses of Commissions, Committees, and Special Inquiries.

Mr. Flinn

For 1937-38 provision is made in this Vote for £10,672, which is a decrease of £2,256 on last year's provision. This year specific provision is made for the following commissions and inquiries:—Central Savings Committee, Civil Service (Compensation) Board, Irish Manuscripts Commission, Commission on Irish in the Civil Service, Commission of Inquiry into Banking, Currency and Credit, Tribunal of Inquiry into the Marketing of Fruit and Vegetables, and Committee of Inquiry into Patent, Design, and Trade Mark Law.

Deputies will observe that, as compared with last year, provision is not made for the Inter - Departmental Committee on Public Works, which has reported, and the Town Tenants (Occupation Tenancies) Tribunal, which has completed its public sittings, and is at present engaged in the preparation of its report. The deletion of these two commissions is responsible for a decrease of £675 in the Estimate, and, in addition, it has been found possible to reduce the provision for practically all of the existing committees as well as for commissions and inquiries not specifically provided for. The net result is a decrease of £2,256 in the provision made for 1936-37.

Mr. Fitzgerald

Some of these commissions are essentially temporary. For instance, the one I have in mind is the Commission of Inquiry into Banking, Currency and Credit. I think that must have been operating for about two years. One has heard that their deliberations are finished, and I would like to know when the report will be published. I should also like to know—probably one might ask the same thing about the others— if and when the report will be published, and also if the evidence given before the commission will be published.

Mr. Flinn

We are hopeful that we may get the report this year. The question of the degree to which the evidence will be published will have to be considered later. There is an immense volume of evidence, an immense mass of statistics of one kind or another, which I think will all be available. Whether it will be desirable to publish the whole of it will be duly considered.

Mr. Fitzgerald

The Parliamentary Secretary says he hopes it will be published this year. There was some statement in the Press to the effect that actually the report has already been delivered to the Government, or is about to be delivered. I think it is only the matter of the report. The evidence-taking and the deliberations of the committee are, I think, terminated. From what one has heard, I would have thought that it would not be a matter of this year. I do not know whether the Parliamentary Secretary means this calendar year or the financial year. I think most people interested in this matter are expecting that the report will be available at any moment. I am sorry the Parliamentary Secretary is not more definite than merely saying this year.

Mr. Flinn

This financial year.

Mr. Fitzgerald

That is putting it further off.

Mr. Flinn

We will do the best we can.

Vote put and agreed to.