As in previous years, I propose to take Votes 9, 10 and 11 together. Vote 9 bears the salaries, wages and incidental expenses of the administrative and technical staffs of the Office of Public Works. The printed Estimates may cause misapprehension; they appear to indicate that the net cost of the service has increased by £21,630 since last year, but this is not so. There has, in fact, been a reduction of about £3,000. In previous years, the administrative expenses of the Special Works Division were provided for in this Vote which was recouped from the Vote for Employment Schemes. This year, these expenses have been transferred to Vote 73—Special Emergency Schemes— and, following the usual practice, the 1941-42 figures for the expenditure sub-heads have, for comparative purposes, been adjusted as explained in the footnotes (a) and (b) on page 29 of the Volume of Estimates. There is no Appropriations-in-Aid sub-head to Vote 73, to which a corresponding transfer could be made. The 1941-42 figure of £29,430 included £24,000 in respect of the recoupment from the Employment Schemes Vote, and, for comparative purposes, should accordingly be reduced to £5,430. The apparent net increase of £21,630 is thereby converted into a net reduction. The reduction is a casual variation due to normal staff changes.
Vote 10—Public Works and Buildings —at £1,088,105 is approximately £84,000 less than in 1941-42. I said last year that it was not easy, even in normal times, to forecast with accuracy the expenditure on this Vote, and the abnormal conditions now prevailing make it still more difficult. During the past year, the supply position in the building industry has deteriorated considerably; in particular, steel, timber, electrical and heating equipment have been progressively scarcer. Our works programme was naturally somewhat retarded as a result, but we were more fortunate than we expected, and by the introduction of new methods and the improvisation of substitute materials, we managed reasonably well. The shortage will, I fear, be more acutely felt in the coming 12 months but we shall do our best, in co-operation with the other Departments and interests concerned, to make the most of whatever supplies are available. The sub-head in this Vote which is most affected is that for new works, but, notwithstanding the difficulties, we hope to maintain a rate of progress not far short of that of 1941-42.
We are again providing £250,000 for grants for national schools. This service is affected, particularly in country districts, by transport difficulties as well as by the general situation in regard to building materials. Notwithstanding this, however, we managed to expend £211,000 in 1941-42. Defence requirements will take some £113,000. £145,000 is being provided for work on the airports. This is a reduction on last year's figure of about £55,000, but the work on the Dublin airport is now practically completed. The new headquarters for the Department of Industry and Commerce will, it is expected, be ready for occupation in the autumn and £40,000 is included for this item. An additional employment exchange for females and juveniles is being provided on the south side of the city and work is also in progress on the new exchange for men at Hoey's Court. The work on these exchanges is being pushed forward as rapidly as possible with a view to relieving the congestion at the existing exchanges.
The remaining sub-heads show little variation when compared with the previous year. The provision for fuel, light, water, etc., is up by £22,000. This is, of course, due to the increased cost of all fuel supplies. In view of the shortage and in order to conserve such stocks as we had been able to secure, we found it necessary to reduce drastically supplies of fuel to all Government Departments during the heating season which has just closed. A strict rationing system was introduced, and I am glad to say that the various Departments responded cordially and put up with the resultant inconveniences without undue complaint.
The provision for arterial drainage is only £7,000. This is due to the fact that we are closing down operations under the existing code, which has been found inadequate to the requirements of the situation. We have in preparation two Bills, one to provide for works on the River Fergus and the other a general measure of a comprehensive character arising out of the report of the Drainage Commission. I cannot anticipate the introduction of this legislation, other than to say that it is the intention to include remedies for certain anomalies and hardships which have arisen in connection with past activities. In order to clear the decks for this legislation, we propose to bring all outstanding works to award as soon as possible and to recondition, so far as available supplies permit, our existing excavating and other drainage plant. A provision of £11,000 is made for this latter purpose.
The Vote for Haulbowline Dockyard —Vote 11—is in the usual form. It shows a reduction of £425 on the Vote for 1941-42, mainly due to the fact that the portion of the island remaining under our control has been reduced in extent.