Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 13 Feb 1946

Vol. 99 No. 7

Committee on Finance. - Vote 71—Personal Injuries (Civilians) Compensation.

Minister for Finance (Mr. Aiken)

I move:—

That a supplementary sum not exceeding £800 be granted to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending 31st March, 1946, for Compensation and other Payments in respect of Personal Injuries sustained by persons, not as members of State Services, as a result of the dropping of bombs by foreign aircraft and of kindred incidents while the State is not engaged in war.

This Supplementary Estimate for £800 is being taken to enable compensation recovered from the German Government for personal injuries arising out of the Campile bombing on the 26th August, 1940, to be distributed among individual claimants. The German Government, who accepted responsibility for the Campile incident, were presented with a claim amounting to £15,000, of which £4,893 was in respect of personal injuries and the balance for damage to property. After negotiations, they accepted the claim at £12,000, of which £4,000 is available to meet payments in respect of personal injuries, and it was agreed that the payments should be met out of moneys made available under the powers conferred by the Emergency Powers (No. 335) Order, 1944. which provided for the collection by the State of debts due by Irish residents to persons in Germany. The full £12,000 has been recovered in this manner and has been paid into the Exchequer, as provided by Article 6 (c) of that Order.

As the money has been so paid into the Exchequer, the only method by which payments in respect of compensation can be made is via the Vote for Personal Injuries (Civilians) Compensation. The existing vote provision having been measured without reference to any disbursements of this kind, the authority of the Dáil is now being sought for a Supplementary Estimate to make good the balance of outlay not available by means of savings on the existing Vote. Payments will be made in individual cases pursuant to Article 34 of the Emergency Powers (Compensation for Personal Injuries) (Civilians) Scheme, 1942.

Mr. O'Leary

Does that apply only to people in Campile? Other people were killed in County Wexford.

Mr. Aiken

This is a Vote for Campile only.

Mr. Dillon

I should like to know from the Minister (1) when he will be in a position to give us a full statement as to the amount recovered from persons who owed money to German nationals; (2) whether he is satisfied that all outstanding debts have now been liquidated by payments made to the Department of Finance here; (3) in respect of payments other than payments due to persons injured at Campile or whose property was destroyed there, when is it proposed to dispose finally of the claims; (4) in respect of payments that have already been made as a result of German aeroplanes dropping bombs here, were such payments made by virement heretofore and does that explain why no Supplementary Estimate was brought before the House for that purpose until now?

Mr. Aiken

If the Deputy requires specific answers to a number of those questions, he should put down Parliamentary questions. I am not in a position to give definite answers to some of the questions he has put. I think that all the money due by Irish residents to concerns in Germany has been collected. When it was collected, it was paid into the Exchequer. The only way we can get it out is by presenting a Parliamentary Estimate. That is the reason for this Vote. Those are the only questions I can answer without notice.

Mr. Dillon

The Minister says that the only way the money can be got out of the Exchequer is by Vote. Did I not understand from him that a good deal of the money had been paid by way of virement—that savings on some sub-heads were used to meet payments on this sub-head without reference to the Dáil?

Mr. Aiken

I do not think that the Deputy is right in that. An Estimate for personal injuries has been voted by the Dáil. Sums were paid out of that Estimate. We had not sufficient money in the Estimate, even allowing for savings, to pay certain sums due to people who were injured at Campile and to the relatives of people who were killed. That is why this additional sum of £800 is being paid out of the Exchequer and into this account. We want finally to settle the claims of the people at Campile.

Mr. O'Leary

What fund will meet the claims of the dependents of people killed at Mount Leinster? Two persons named Shannon were killed there. Is it Germany who will compensate them?

Mr. Aiken

That is all provided for in the main Vote.

Vote put and agreed to.