asked the Minister for Finance if he will explain why the estimates for postal expenses of of Officers and Staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas have increased from £2,000 in 1965-66 to £11,000 in 1966-67 as stated in the current Book of Estimates.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Postal Expenses of Oireachtas Officers and Staff.
20.
As Deputies are aware, the Post Office have, since 1st April, 1964, been charging other Departments and Offices for all services rendered. In regard to the postal expenses of the officers and staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas, the provision of £2,000 made in the 1965-66 Estimate was decided on, after consultation with the Post Office, in October, 1964 i.e. after the new arrangement had been in operation for only 6 months. The provision was therefore somewhat conjectural.
A more up-to-date survey since carried out by the Post Office just before the Estimate for 1966-67 was prepared suggested that the figure of £2,000 originally estimated for in 1965-66 would have to be revised to £5,000. Hence the Estimate for 1966-67 provided for this extra £3,000. It also provided for £4,000 in respect of the estimated postal expenses of the Officers and Staff for that year itself.
To this total of £7,000, there was added a further £4,000 by way of an estimated revised charge for official paid stationery supplied to the Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas for the use of Deputies and Senators under the free postal arrangements. For accounting convenience, the value of the stock in hand was regarded as a liability of that Office, which of course is responsible for its custody.