Vol. 91 No. 14
I move:—
That a sum not exceeding £48,242 be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending the 31st day of March, 1944, for the Salaries and Expenses of the Office of Public Works (1 and 2 Will. 4, c. 33, secs. 5 and 6; 5 and 6 Vict., c. 89, secs. 1 and 2; 9 and 10 Vict., c. 86, secs. 2, 7 and 9); etc.
Votes 9, 10 and 11 will be discussed together. In the case of Votes 10 and 11 only a formal motion will be taken at the end, and they will be put without further debate on them.
It has been the practice to take these three Votes together. They are closely related to one another. Vote 9 bears the salaries and expenses of the administrative and technical staffs of the Office of Public Works which is responsible for the services covered by Votes 10 and 11. Vote 10 provides the necessary funds for the erection, maintenance and furnishing of Government offices and other State-owned premises throughout the country, for the erection of major military buildings, the maintenance of parks and State harbours, for the construction of airports, and for arterial drainage and a number of other minor activities. Vote 11 is a small Vote dealing only with the management of Haulbowline in so far as that island remains in civilian control.
As regards Vote 9, there is nothing of a revolutionary nature in this year's proposals. The figure for Vote 9, £143,842, differs from that for the previous year by £1,347, a casual increase due mainly to the emergency bonus increase recently granted to the lower-paid grades in the Civil Service. Of the officers whose salaries are borne on this Vote, 23 are on loan to other Departments.
Vote 10—the Vote for Public Works and Buildings—amounts to £1,005,365, a reduction of £82,740 on last year's figure. The two largest items making up the total are sub-head B: New Works at £580,000, and sub-head C: Maintenance and Supplies at £200,000. The provision for New Works is down this year by almost £100,000. The growing difficulties in obtaining supplies of essential building materials, timber, structural and reinforcing steel, electrical and heating equipment have compelled us to restrict our building programme to the minimum. We have been experimenting and improvising, with a considerable measure of success in certain directions in an effort to overcome these difficulties, and we will continue to do so. The large number of token provisions which appear in the detailed Estimates give some indication of the extent to which it has been found impossible to proceed with works which are desirable and would in normal conditions be considered necessary. Difficulties of supply have also produced problems in the purely maintenance services, but not to the same extent.
The provision for grants for building and improving national schools has been retained at last year's figure, £250,000. Expenditure under this head last year reached the peak figure of £240,000. This is in some measure due to the fact that a number of large school-buildings in the newly built-up city areas were in hands. Progress has inevitably been slowed down even in these cases; in the more remote rural areas supply difficulties are becoming daily more onerous, costs are increasing and transport curtailments have further contributed to restricting output. We are doing the best we can in the adverse circumstances of the time to keep this important service going.
The joint Headquarters of the Departments of Industry and Commerce and Supplies were completed and occupied during the year, as were also the employment exchanges at Hoey's Court and Kingsland Park. Progress on the remaining works was maintained at a reasonably satisfactory standard having regard to the emergency conditions.
The remaining sub-heads, with the exception of the drainage provisions, call for little comment. There is a reduction in the furniture provision due to some extent to the difficulties of procuring furniture; rents and fuel costs show small increases arising from expanding requirements. Expenditure on these services is kept under close and continuous observation in the interests of economy. The fuel available is now practically confined to turf and coke, of which we have a modest reserve, but prudence dictates that provision should be made to purchase supplies to cover our annual consumption of these commodities.
In the Drainage sub-heads appears a new item—the River Fergus Drainage—for which £17,500 is provided. The Fergus Act became law about the end of April, and the necessary works are in progress.
Considerable progress has been made in the preparation of the Comprehensive Drainage Bill, pending the enactment of which, as the House is aware, no new drainage works other than the Fergus will be undertaken. The Bill will, I hope, shortly be ready for introduction.
The Haulbowline Vote is in the usual form and shows a casual reduction of £350 on the previous year. It contains no feature on which it is necessary to comment.
Earlier to-day I asked the Parliamentary Secretary what had happened to the report of the Drainage Commission. Is it the intention of the Government to introduce legislation implementing the recommendations of the report or will it hang fire until the war is over? May I also draw the Parliamentary Secretary's attention, as I understand the Department of which he is in charge is responsible, to the fact that, in the opinion of most Deputies, this building is generally overheated?
A later vote will deal with that.
I am sure that Ministers are concerned for the health of Deputies generally and, that being so, some steps should be taken to regulate the temperature of the building with atmospheric conditions outside. As the Parliamentary Secretary is aware, Deputies complain of the heat of this building.
Ba mhaith lion tagairt do dhéanamh do cheist teach scoile thiar i nGaillimh, sé sin, Scoil na hAille Brice. Tá na pleananna faoi réir ag na Comisinéirí—sin é an t-eolas atá agam faoi. Tá scoil sealadach acu ach tá sé níos measa ná priosún. Tá sé dorcha agus salach agus iarraim ar an Rúnaí Páirliminte dlúthas do chur ar cheist na scoile nua.
I wish to call attention to Haulbowline where, I understand, the position is not too good as a certain number of men are unemployed as a result of a shortage of fire-bricks for the furnace. I think the State laboratory should interest itself there and consider the question of having fire-bricks made in this country. A good deal of work was given in the vicinity of Haulbowline in the past.
That is a question for the Department of Industry and Commerce.
Haulbowline Dockyard is mentioned on this Estimate.
Only the upkeep. That matter was dealt with under the Vote for the Minister for Industry and Commerce.
The men are unemployed and I notice that the upkeep of the dockyard is contemplated.
I think the Deputy is referring now to a private company over which the Parliamentary Secretary has no control. At any rate, it is a matter for the Department of Industry and Commerce.
Seeing that public money is being provided Deputies associated with the area are interested and I want to call attention to the matter.
The Parliamentary Secretary has nothing to do with it.
I think he is responsible judging by the Estimate.
For the upkeep yes, but for the industry carried on there, no.
There is a furnace there. Otherwise why give public money for upkeep?
I want to assure the Deputy that we have no responsibility for the matters he refers to at Haulbowline. On the point raised by Deputy Roddy, as he is aware the report of the Drainage Commission has been accepted by the Government in principle and a Bill to give effect to it is in course of preparation. I am sure he will believe me when I say that the preparation of the Drainage Bill is a complicated matter and one which cannot be done in a short time. I can assure the Deputy that no time will be lost in completing whatever work remains to be done on it, and that it will be introduced, I hope, in a few months time.
