I move:
Go ndeontar suim ná raghaidh thar £29,061 chun slánuithe na suime is gá chun íochta an Mhuirir a thiocfaidh chun bheith iníochta i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31adh lá de Mhárta, 1940, chun Tuarastail agus Costaisí Oifig an Aire Dlighidh agus Cirt.
That a sum not exceeding £29,061 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, 1940, for the Salaries and Expenses of the Office of the Minister for Justice.
This Estimate shows an apparent net increase of almost £2,000 over the sum for the year 1938-39. I mention it as an "apparent increase" because I do not think that the full sum estimated will actually be spent. It will be observed that on page 113 of the printed volume of Estimates an item of £1,000 has been inserted under the heading of "Provision for extra staff" and that, on the next page, the total provision for the staff of the accounts branch of the office has been increased by over £1,000. Unless some unexpected development arises, I think that this additional sum of, approximately, £2,000 will not be required in full. Some of the problems with regard to staffing which were being discussed with the Department of Finance at the time this Estimate was being prepared have now been settled but minor matters are still pending. I do not think that the full amount will be required. The Estimate is, for the most part, merely a repetition, with minor variations, of the Estimates which have been presented year after year. There is nothing new in it and nothing new to say about it. Certain periodical reports have been issued by the Department. The usual report on prisons was issued and a report on judicial statistics has been presented. Deputies were, I think, anxious to obtain these particulars. We have also been able to present a report on road traffic. This was based mainly on the year 1937, but a number of interesting figures were obtained for the year 1938.
There is one matter to which, I think, I should specifically refer. It will be observed that, under sub-head A (4), it is proposed to provide a sum of £500 for legal and technical assistance. Last year the sum was £550. I explained last year that, of the £550 then provided, £500 was ear-marked for drafting fees in connection with the revision of the High Court rules and £50 for editing a book on Coroner's Law. Very little of the £500 then provided has been used and no part of the £50 then voted has been used. The position as regards revision of the High Court rules is that a member of the Bar has been nominated to do this work under the guidance of the Rule-Making Committee. It is estimated that the cost will work out at about £1,000. The pace at which those rules can be provided is necessarily slow and it will probably be two years before that amount of money will be actually expended. With regard to the provision last year of £50 for preparation of a book on Coroner's Law, we had in mind at that time the bringing in of a short Bill amalgamating the older Acts and eliminating from them the portions which were entirely out-of-date and unsuited to present conditions. Since then, we have considered the advisability, instead of going on the shorter course then contemplated, of introducing a comprehensive Bill to bring Coroner's Law up-to-date. I think that that would be the more satisfactory course. However, it will be necessary even in respect of that, to have a book setting out what the position is and explaining the various matters in connection with it. That sum of £50 will, I believe, be required for that purpose.
