asked the Minister for Finance if he will indicate in respect of the "Receipts and Issues out of the Exchequer, etc.," as published in Iris Oifigiúil of 22nd January, 1952, the amounts appropriated to capital and to supply services, as laid down in the Budget Statement, in the figure of £66,708,429 supply services expenditure.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Exchequer Receipts and Issues.
As estimates of outlay in respect of voted "capital services" are obtained only at quarterly intervals, I propose to give the position at 31st December, 1951. Issues for Supply Services during the nine months ended on that date amounted to £64,268,429 and included an estimated £6,250,000 for voted "capital services" under the headings set out in the 1951 Budget Statement. I cannot admit the propriety of charging all of this expenditure as capital. The Supply Service issues also included approximately £750,000 in respect of reserve stocks and £2,727,000 paid in discharge of arrears of fuel losses to 31st March, 1951. Deducting these three items, totalling £9,727,000, from the supply services, we get a figure of £54,541,000, to which has to be added £6,549,000 for Central Fund services making in all £61,090,000, against which revenue amounted to £56,070,000, leaving a minimum deficit of £5,020,000.
As on the 31st December with the three best months for revenue to come.
The three worst months.
Is the Minister able to differentiate, apart from the one figure of £2,700,000, between the sums paid on the original Estimates and the sums paid on Supplementary Estimates?
Yes, there was over £1,000,000 paid in respect of additional old age pensions.
Is the Minister able to give the totals? Would the Minister mind sitting down while I am asking a question?
I was on my feet answering.
The Minister for Defence very properly called me to order on that point before, and I am paying his colleague back now.
I said the Deputy was speaking while I was on my feet. If Deputy Sweetman sets himself up as an arbiter of manners, perhaps he would sit down.
Perhaps both will sit down.
On a point of order. Surely it is in order for me to ask a supplementary question until such time as the Chair has called the next question.
Deputy Sweetman.
Would the Minister mind answering the supplementary question he was asked—how much of the figures that he has given as expenditure up to the 31st December last include expenditure on Supplementary Estimates apart from the one figure that he mentioned?
I am afraid that the Deputy will have to make his question a little bit clearer because I have mentioned several figures. I mentioned the figure of £2,727,000 paid in discharge of arrears of fuel losses to 31st March, 1951, which included quite a considerable sum for interest because the late Government had not fulfilled its obligations. I also mentioned a sum of over £1,000,000 in respect of old age pensions.
Are there any other figures for payments on Supplementary Estimates?
I cannot give every one of 100,000 items.
In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the Minister's reply, I propose to raise this question on the Adjournment for the purpose of getting a little more information.