Vol. 337 No. 8
I move:
That a supplementary sum not exceeding £250,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 1982, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Education (including Institutions of Science and Art), for certain miscellaneous educational and cultural services and for payment of sundry grants-in-aid.
Will the Minister state the purpose of this Supplementary Estimate?
This is related to the inner city and other activities.
Is there some provision in respect of youth and sports grants? Is this in respect of the extra grants that were promised during the Dublin West by-election?
There is a provision under the heading of "Youth". A total amount of £250,000 is required under subhead G.3, the subhead for the grant-in-aid fund for youth and sport organisations.
Is it in respect of promises made to various organisations in the course of the Dublin West by-election?
Of this amount, £25,000 has been allocated to my Department for the purpose of expanding existing cross-Border exchange schemes in establishing Anglo-Irish youth exchanges.
There is provision for that in the original Estimate.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Is it not clear to the Minister, having regard to all the Supplementary Estimates, that he would want extraordinary savings in some Departments in order to get a net £45 million? Is that not common sense? Will the Minister not agree with me in what I have said?
As I have indicated already, the economies of £45 million or more are being sought across the whole spread of spending. If additional sums are required for particular Departments, those additional sums will be brought forward by way of Supplementary Estimates, as has been done in a number of instances. That was why I said in reply to earlier inquiries that it was not possible for anyone to say what would be the final amount of spending for the year. I also pointed out that it is possible to come along with specific proposals to achieve economies of £45 million, just as it is possible to come along with proposals for tax changes or any other specific action. Deputies cannot have it both ways.
(Cavan-Monaghan): I will ask one question in simple language. Is the Minister talking about net savings in the year, that is, net savings on the Estimates as originally introduced?
Yes, savings on the Estimates as originally introduced. In addition to specific proposals to reduce those by £45 million, it may also be necessary to bring forward specific proposals to increase them.
(Cavan-Monaghan): If there is going to be a net saving of £45 million across the board, does this not mean that this will have to be found by savings in some Departments?
I did not use the phrase "net savings". The Deputy used that phrase.
(Cavan-Monaghan): I do not know what the Minister is talking about.
Will the Minister indicate if any savings have been achieved to date in any Department and, if so, will he indicate the nature of those savings? If there have been no such savings, will the Minister confirm that the intention is that the saving of £45 million will be achieved some time during the last two or three months of the year, which is an impossibility?
A number of savings have been achieved in the first six months of the year in various Departments. I do not have the precise details but I can confirm they did arise in a number of Departments. They would be savings on the sums as provided in the Estimates established at the beginning of the year. As I have already pointed out, that does not mean there will not be other changes either by way of additions to spending or reductions in spending, in the remaining months of the year. That is why neither I nor anyone else can say what will be the final total spending, either for an individual Department or for Departments generally.
The Minister has indicated that savings have been achieved by certain Departments. Will he say if the amounts saved are less than the additional sums being sought by way of Supplementary Estimates?
Does the Deputy wish to make a specific point? It appears that there is considerable repetition on this matter. Does he wish to put a specific question?
Perhaps the Minister will indicate if a saving has been achieved in his Department?
As I have indicated, I cannot give the precise savings that have been achieved.
Even in his own Department?
I could arrange to have a note prepared by next week. As of now I am not in a position to say off the top of my head exactly what savings have been achieved. This is a matter we have been looking at from time to time but I do not know the end-June position.
(Donegal South-West): I appreciate the difficulties of the Government in trying to save £45 million but I am sure they will refrain from removing subsidies on food, putting VAT on childrens' clothes and preventing children from going to school. I ask them not to take the easy way out, as the Opposition did.
Let them put back the tax on discretionary trusts.
At one point the Minister was endeavouring to establish the details of the Supplementary Estimate. He was giving details but he had not finished doing so when another question was asked.
A sum of £25,000 was for cross-Border exchange schemes and the other £225,000 was for youth activities. This is a supplement to the amount provided in the January Estimate.
Will the Minister state the areas involved so far as youth activities are concerned?
It was as announced in the budget statement on 25 March. It is necessary now to bring in a Supplementary Estimate to give effect to what was announced on 25 March. Any references to Ballyfermot and so on are slightly wide of the mark.
