Would the Minister consider adding into Section 7—I do not necessarily say by means of statutory provision—not merely the amount for which the Minister is liable under the guarantee or which the Minister has paid under the guarantee in that financial year, but any amount paid to the particular scheduled body in any previous year, so that you will have the whole financial position as to what the State has contributed in one document?
Committee on Finance. - State Guarantees Bill, 1952 —Committee Stage.
Sections 1 to 6, inclusive, agreed to.
SECTION 7.
Question proposed: "That Section 7 stand part of the Bill."
The Deputy is suggesting that we should cover the amounts paid in any previous year. That might give us a very unwieldy document in the course of time, assuming some of these bodies were toremain in existence for any period of years.
As I understand the position, these scheduled bodies borrow moneys backed with a guarantee by the Minister and they pay and repay their own bankers. It is not anticipated, I think, that the Minister will, with great frequency, have to make good payment on foot of these guarantees. I am not going to insist on any right or on any suggestion to incorporate it in the section but I do think it would give a truer picture if we could see in the report that is laid before the House under Section 7 exactly what has been paid by the State on behalf of each scheduled body since the incorporation of such scheduled body. Otherwise members of the House would have to go back and search for it through the Estimates and through the reports to get the total and the fullest picture. If the Minister considers it I think he will agree.
The only thing is that it would be rather an innovation in legislation of this form and the information which the Deputy suggests might be provided could be secured by question and answer.
I agree I could get it by question, but I think it would be better to secure it in this way. The Minister will agree that this is a new type of legislation.
Only to this extent, that we are replacing by Statute legislation which has been made by Order, so that it is not new. I will consider what the Deputy has said.
It will save the Minister having to answer a question once a year.
Question put and agreed to.
Sections 8 to 11, inclusive, put and agreed to.