Committee Reports > List of Committees > Dáil > 1951 > Committee of Public Accounts > Report - Appropriation Accounts 1948 - 1949

APPENDIX II.

MINUTE OF MINISTER FOR FINANCE ON REPORT DATED 13th JULY, 1950, OF THE COMMITTEE OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS.

Paragraphs 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 13, 14 and 15.

These paragraphs do not appear to require comment on the part of the Minister.

CIRCUIT COURT

Paragraph 1.—Irregularities in Circuit Court Office.

The Minister has given careful consideration to all the factors in this case, including the recorded statements of the former Accounting Officer, and he concurs in the views expressed by the Committee in their Report on the Accounts for 1946/47. Having regard to all the circumstances, he has come to the conclusion that no action towards recovery should be taken. A suitable note will be appended to the Appropriation Account for 1950/51.

As already intimated to the Committee, steps have been taken to ensure that he irregularities will not recur.

CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION

Paragraph 8.—Receipts from Fee Stamps.

The Minister has now decided that in future a note shall be appended to the Appropriation Account of this Vote, showing the Exchequer Extra Receipts arising from the sale of fee stamps.

Similar notes will be appended to the Appropriation Accounts of other Votes where receipts from fee stamps arise.

TRANSPORT AND METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES

Paragraph 9.—Passenger Hostel at Foynes.

The receipts from the provision of resident accommodation in the hostel at Foynes, from 5th November, 1946, to 31st October, 1947, were £5,995 6s. 3d. The accounts of expenditure in connection with the hostel for this period include the expenses incurred on all the hostel services, i.e., accommodation, catering, bar and shop, and it is not possible to segregate the expenses attributable to the provision of resident accommodation from those attributable to the provision of services for non-residents.

The total receipts from and the expenses on all the services provided for the full period of operation of the hostel were as follows:—

The provision of resident accommodation ceased on 31st October, 1947, but the hostel remained in operation until 10th December, 1947. Efforts were being made at this time to dispose of the property for hotel purposes as a going concern.

The hostel was sold to the Limerick County Council in 1949 through the agency of the Department of Health for the sum of £5,000, not including furniture and furnishings. Part of the furniture and equipment was also sold to the Limerick County Council for the sum of £3,462 14s. 6d. The Limerick County Council entered into possession of the premises on 24th June, 1949. The completion of the sale of the premises was delayed pending the vesting of the hostel site in the Minister for Industry and Commerce, but the necessary conveyance is now being prepared. Interest on the purchase price of £5,000 will be payable up to the time of completion of the sale.

PUBLIC WORKS AND BUILDINGS

Paragraph 10.—Supplementary Estimate.

The Minister notes the Committee’s comments regarding the excess expenditure under Subhead C.

EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

Paragraph 11.—Repayable advances to certain Irish nationals who were pensioners of the Shanghai Municipal Council.

The Minister is informed that payment of pensions has not been resumed and that efforts to secure compensation for these pensioners from other sources have failed.

PRIMARY EDUCATION.

Paragraph 12.—Payment of salary to certain teachers.

The Minister is in agreement with the view that teachers who are paid salary during the closing of a school for a prolonged period for repairs should, where possible, be employed in another school. In the case which was before the Committee, the Minister communicated this view to the Department when it appeared that the closing of the school was likely to be prolonged. In future, when a school is closed for a prolonged period for repairs or replacement the Minister will press for the employment in other schools of the teachers concerned.

ARMY

Paragraph 16.—Issue and control of Uniform Clothing of An Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil.

It is anticipated that the pending comprehensive Defence Force Regulation to govern the issue and control of uniform clothing of An Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil will be issued in the near future.

The Minister is assured by the Department of Defence that all practicable steps are being taken to minimise wastage in this matter. In this connexion, however, he notes that the Committee realises that problems of the nature referred to in their Report are inevitable in the case of a voluntary organisation.

ARMY PENSIONS.

Paragraph 17.—Military Service Pensions.

The Minister agrees with the view of the Committee in this matter. He has been informed by the Department of Defence that steps will be taken to ensure that the wishes of the Committee will be complied with in relation to petitions for re-examination made under the Military Service Pensions (Amendment) Act 1949.

AVIATION AND METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES.

Paragraph 18.—Acquisition of land for the purpose of establishing a village settlement.

Arrangements for the reconveyance of the lands in question have been concluded with a number of owners and it is expected that the remaining cases will be disposed of at an early date. The matter will come before the Committee again in the course of its examination of the Appropriation Accounts to which the expenditure involved in disposing of these lands will be charged.

The acquisition of these lands was carried out in good faith to meet the desires expressed by the Airport staff for the relief of their very real difficulties in obtaining accommodation for themselves and their families. It was the intention at the time to proceed with the construction of a village settlement on the lands as a matter of urgency, as the lack of housing accommodation might have affected the provision of essential staff for the Airport. While the Minister regrets that certain expenditure was involved in connection with this project, he is satisfied that the later developments which rendered the acquisition of th s land unnecessary could not have been forseen at the time of acquisition.

Paragraph 19.—Preservation of accounting documents.

The Minister agrees with the views of the Committee regarding the preservation of accounting documents for examination by the Comptroller and Auditor General.