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

APPENDIX XVII.

MACHINERY PURCHASED BY STATIONERY OFFICE IN 1948-49.

An Rúnaí,

Coiste um Chuntais Phoiblí.

At the proceedings of the Public Accounts Committee on 6th December, 1950, I was asked to furnish a note regarding the machinery purchased from the Vote for Stationery and Printing, 1948/49.

I now desire to state, for the information of the Committee, that the total expenditure on machinery in the course of that year amounted to £18,246 3s. 10d., of which £5,487 9s. 5d. was spent in connection with the Hollerith plant in the Irish Land Commission, £2,879 16s. 5s. in connection with the Powers-Samas machinery in the Central Statistics Office, £6,186 14s. 0d. on the purchase of other accounting, dictating, etc., machines, and £3,692 4s. 0d. on the purchase of typewriters and duplicators.

The Hollerith plant was introduced into the Irish Land Commission in 1937 and the expenditure in 1498/49 represents rental charges defrayed in that year for machines which are held on hire, maintenance charges and the cost of minor alterations to the plant. The expenditure in respect of the Powers-Samas machinery in the Central Statistics Office arose from similar causes.

It has been confirmed that apart from three dictating machines which were later transferred from one Department to another and are still in use in the latter Department all the accounting, dictating, etc., machines supplied in the course of the year are still in use in the Departments which received them. These machines were dispersed amongst various Departments. No large block of work was turned over to any of them, but certain work formerly done by Shorthand Typists in the Department of Local Government was transferred to Typists using dictating machines.

The typewriters and duplicators were mostly required to replace old equipment. Those issued for use by additional typing staff were but a small part of the total purchased and connoted no change in methods of working.

I am now in a position to state that the expenditure during 1948/49 included no charges in respect of Palantype machines. Special training and practice are essential for the satisfactory use of the Palantype machines and while none of these instruments was, eventually, assigned to the Reporting Staff of the Oireachtas one has been installed in each of the Departments of Finance, Defence, Health, Posts and Telegraphs, and Social Welfare.