The normal grant to the Royal Irish Academy is £3,200 and this amount was included in the main Estimate for 1943-44 which has already been passed by the Dáil. In 1941-42 a Supplementary Estimate was presented to the Dáil for an additional grant of £200 for the Academy and a supplementary grant of similar amount was provided in 1942-43.
It was hoped that this additional subsidy would not have to be repeated and the provision included in the current year's estimate was limited to the normal grant of £3,200. Recently, however, the Academy made representations for additional assistance to meet increased expenditure arising mainly out of the printing and publication of their proceedings. For a variety of reasons the number of research papers suitable for publication by the Academy has been increasing for some time back and, after consideration of the Academy's representations, the Minister for Finance agreed to give the Academy an additional £300 this year. The Supplementary Estimate before the House is presented accordingly. If the Academy want additional assistance next year they will have to make their case for it to the Minister in due course. Although savings on the Vote already passed, sufficient to meet the extra £300, are expected, a Supplementary Estimate is necessary to enable these savings to be utilised, as the annual assistance to the Royal Irish Academy is provided by way of Grants-in Aid, and the rules as to Parliamentary control of expenditure do not permit of a Grant-in-Aid being increased without the sanction of the Dáil. That is the story.
