Vol. 241 No. 2
I move:
That a sum not exceeding £1,560,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1970 for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Finance, including the Paymaster-General's Office and for payment of certain grants-inaid.
In reference to the Economic and Social Research Institute, can the Minister give us any indication as to the growth of this organisation and of the possible financial demands in the future—whether this figure will rise in the next year because of additional staff?
Part of this figure is a non-recurring item of £35,000 towards outlay on new accommodation. Part of the increase also has been in respect of extra staff. I should not like to be doctrinaire as to whether more staff will be required in this institute in the future. This body can perform a very useful function. We might avail of their services in the future on the side of social research as well as economic research.
Can the Minister tell us what subhead L is about? It refers to grants for county development work.
It refers to expenses incurred by county development teams. There are 13 such teams in the west and there is a development officer now in west Wicklow. By and large, the expenses and the costs of the team secretaries are paid for by the Department by way of salaries because they are established civil servants, but there are three temporary appointments.
Are these concerned with industrial development?
There are county development teams in each of the western counties composed of the chairman of the county council, the county manager and the county engineer. Each team has a secretary who is responsible for the general economic development of the area — tourism, industry, any possibility of development.
How successful, or otherwise, have they been?
They have been very successful. They are backed up by the special regional development fund. To date, out of that fund we have either paid out or have accumulated liability to pay out grants of more than £400,000.
The item in respect of State entertainment shows a decrease. What happened?
Just general saving. We have transferred this item from the Department of External Affairs to my Department.
Have other Ministers got separate entertainment funds?
No. This covers all.
This is a change.
Yes. The situation up to now was anomalous. It was carried under the vote for the Department of External Affairs and I did not have control of it because it was availed of by all Ministers. The main factor was whether Department of Finance sanction was given to any item in respect of entertainment. It was deemed to be partly under the Finance votes. This change has been brought about because of a general endeavour to achieve savings. Generally speaking, we have laid down the principle that for this year there will not be any official entertainment unless there is an existing commitment to an international organisation or some other inescapable commitment.
In respect of the National Savings Committee, there has been an increase. One of the duties of this committee is to organise group savings. Will the Minister say whether in the past year any group savings have been effected by the staff allocated to the National Savings Committee, part of whose work is the general promotion of savings in the community? As far as I can see, the concrete work they are involved in is the organising of group savings schemes. Have they organised any such schemes?
They have.
Can the Minister give us some idea of what subhead O involves?
As Deputies know, we have established a new body to advise and assist in general science policy — the National Science Council. The administration costs of that new council will be borne under other subheads of the vote for my Department and this amount of £50,000 is to cover the cost of a scheme of research grants which this council have instituted. This £50,000 will probably not be sufficient. We expect ultimately to spend £100,000 in a full year on these grants. The subhead, therefore, deals with a new scheme of science research grants administered by this council.
Provision of this nature is very welcome but I am worried about when the Dáil will get a report on the results of this expenditure.
I will consider how this can best be brought to the attention of the Dáil.
There was a decision to reduce salaries? Does this still obtain?
Yes, 15 per cent this calendar year.
Can the Minister say why it was decided to reduce the salaries?
I have already explained that.
It is a little bit mixed up with crisis and non-crisis.
The Government did an excellent job in dealing with the incomes situation as it arose at the time with, I am glad to say, the full co-operation of a very enlightened trade union congress.
What was the total saving by the end of the year?
I do not know; I am not good at sums.
