Might I inquire, since I have sympathy with the questions raised by Senator O'Donnell and his interest in safeguarding public moneys, whether the reasons for writing off the amounts in the other cases of the people referred to in the Schedule are the same as those raised by Senator O'Donnell? Will the Minister state whether the reasons for inability to recover the moneys were similar or not?
Sir Patrick Dun's Hospital Bill, 1953. - Committee and Final Stages.
Sections 1, 2 and 3 put and agreed to.
Question proposed: "That the Schedule be the Schedule of the Bill."
No, they are not strictly on all fours with the case raised by Senator O'Donnell. In one case, a loan was made in 1929 to an ex-officer of the National Army under the Land Improvement Act, and, as usual, in that case it was charged on the land. That ex-officer subsequently left the country, his whereabouts are unascertainable and therefore we cannot recover the debt. The case of Mrs. Margaret Kennedy, if the Senator will excuse me going into details, is very much the same as that of Mr. Odlum. In the case of the Buncrana Harbour Commissioners, their position is that a considerable sum of money was spent on the building of a pier by the Office of Public Works and a Government grant was given towards the cost of construction.
The works were carried out, but the Harbour Commissioners were not satisfied that they were properly carried out and refused to meet their obligations in respect of the loan. The position in fact is that between 1929-30 and 1933-34 improvements were carried out in the harbour at a cost of £30,000. A sum of £6,000 was provided by way of loan and the balance by way of grants. The Buncrana Harbour Commissioners took up the attitude that the works were not properly carried out and refused to meet their obligations. Ultimately, a settlement was arrived at and, in virtue of that, the amount is now to be written off.
Question put and agreed to.
Bill reported without recommendation, received for final consideration, and ordered to be returned to the Dáil.