Committee Reports > List of Committees > Dáil > 1959 > Committee of Public Accounts > Report - Appropriation Accounts 1957 - 1958

APPENDIX II.

MINUTE OF THE MINISTER FOR FINANCE ON REPORT DATED 17 JULY 1958, OF THE COMMITTEE OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS.

Paragraph 1—Further reports on matters referred to in the following paragraphs of the Minute of the Minister for Finance dated 2 May, 1958:—

WIRELESS BROADCASTING.

Paragraph 4—Emergency reserve stores for the maintenance of wireless transmitting stations.

Efforts to dispose as a working unit of the shortwave transmitter and its associated stores have been continued without a positive result to date. These efforts will be continued for a further period.

PUBLIC WORKS AND BUILDINGS.

Paragraph 7—Lighting sets for excavators.

An auction of surplus property, at which the unsold lighting sets will be offered, is being arranged and the Committee will be advised of the outcome.

LANDS.

Paragraph 9—Cleaning of drains.

The complex issues here involved are still under consideration by the Land Commission and the law officers. The Committee will, as already indicated, be informed of the final decision which, it is hoped, will be reached before very long.

SOCIAL INSURANCE.

Paragraph 12—Rent of premises occupied by Córas Iompair Éireann.

See remarks (below) under paragraph 14 of Report.

SOCIAL ASSISTANCE.

Paragraph 13—Scheme for the supply of fuel for necessitous families.

The Minister is informed by the Department of Social Welfare that the Attorney General has advised that the financial provision for the purpose voted annually and embodied in the annual Appropriation Act, and the provision contained in section 4 of the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1957, together constitute sufficient statutory authority for the operation of these schemes.

INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE.

Paragraph 15—Adjustment of subsidy payments on termination of flour and wheatenmeal subsidy.

The Minister is informed that the Department of Industry and Commerce have completed the examination of the Flour Millers’ Accounts. Messrs. Grain Importers (Éire) Limited are engaged in the calculation of the amounts due to and by the individual millers for the different accounting periods. It is understood that this work will be completed at a reasonably early date.

FISHERIES.

Paragraph 17—Arrears of annuities in respect of repayable advances to the Irish Sea Fisheries Association for boats and gear.

The question of writing off these irrecoverable arrears raises complex issues which are receiving attention. It is hoped that a decision will be reached and conveyed to the Committee at an early date.

PUBLIC WORKS AND BUILDINGS.

Paragraph 20—Store records at the Central Engineering Workshop.

Examination of this matter has not yet been concluded.

NATIONAL GALLERY.

Paragraph 22—Inventories of pictures.

The Minister is informed that the problem of additional accommodation for the Gallery has not yet been solved. Examination of the matter is proceeding and the Committee will be notified of the outcome as soon as possible.

Paragraphs 2, 5, 6, 9 and 15.

These paragraphs do not appear to call for comment.

PUBLIC WORKS AND BUILDINGS.

Paragraph 3—Adaptation of Shelton Abbey buildings.

The contractor’s accounts were checked by (a) the clerk of works, who was employed for the purpose of checking and supervising the quality and rate of work and the quality and quantity of materials, etc., and for checking the contractor’s time sheets and (b) by the architect, who exercised general supervision over the contract. The Accountant’s Branch of the Office of Public Works made arithmetical checks of the statements furnished by the contractor from time to time. Payment was made to the contractor in instalments and a final safeguard was provided by a detailed examination of the entire account, including the contractor’s time books and invoices for materials, before the last instalments were paid.

OFFICE OF THE REVENUE COMMISSIONERS.

Paragraph 4—Cases subject to review in the Estate Duty Branch.

The Revenue Commissioners have now completed their proposals for a reorganisation of the work and staffing of the Estate Duty Branch. The agreement of the Comptroller and Auditor General to the revised accounting procedures contained in these proposals has been sought.

NATIONAL GALLERY.

Paragraph 7—Sales of Reproductions.

The Minister is informed that improvements in the facilities for display of postcard reproductions have recently been made, from which it is hoped that increased sales will result.

COMMISSIONS AND SPECIAL INQUIRIES.

Paragraph 8—Progress of Commissions.

Irish Manuscripts Commission:

Regarding the work of the Irish Manuscripts Commission, a Catalogue was issued by the Stationery Office in 1957 listing the Commission’s publications (approximately 75 volumes), over the period 1928-1957. The Catalogue is available in the Dáil Library. The Minister understands that, in addition, 32 titles are in course of preparation. Also, the Commission issues from time to time a journal entitled Analecta Hibernica in which are published various documents which it is not convenient to publish as separate volumes. A survey of the work of the Commission was published by the Cork University Press in 1954.

Since the establishment of the Institute for Advanced Studies in 1940 the Irish Manuscripts Commission has not undertaken the publication of manuscripts in the Irish Language and overlapping in regard to such work is thus avoided.

Place Names Commission:

The giving by the Commission of advice in regard to the correct Irish versions of place names involves in most cases not only research at Headquarters, but also local field work. The staff available for this work consists normally of two officers at Headquarters and three field workers, but owing to delays and difficulties in recruitment, and also to resignations, some of these posts have been vacant from time to time for prolonged periods. In view of the nature of the work, and the small staff engaged on it, a considerable output cannot be expected. Office research, which necessitates reference to many sources of varying degrees of antiquity, is inseparably linked with field work, which has been carried out in a substantial portion of Co. Cork and in small areas in Co. Galway and Co. Donegal.

Precedence has latterly been given to work on the correct Irish versions of post-town names. The Commission has already advised on the correct Irish versions of about one-fifth of the post-town names, and work on a further one-fifth of these names is at an advanced stage. It is hoped that work on the post-town names will be completed by the end of 1959 and will be published shortly after completion.

In view of the specialised nature of the Commission’s work, it is not considered that the question of co-ordination with any other activity arises, or that there is any risk of overlapping between the Commission’s work and research work being undertaken elsewwhere.

PUBLIC WORKS AND BUILDINGS.

Paragraph 10—Living-in accommodation at a divisional Garda headquarters.

The Minister notes the views of the Committee. It is proposed that, as a general rule for the future, the Commissioners of Public Works will, on completion of the working drawings for a project, ask the Department concerned to confirm that there has been no alteration in requirements since the final sketch plan stage.

Paragraph 11—Erection of Preparatory College.

While it would now appear, in the light of experience, that it would have been more prudent to have adopted, for a building in this locality where rainfall is abnormally high, a design which did not demand such a degree of skill and experience from the workmen, it must be recognised that the dampness which occurred in the structure was in large measure due to the inferior workmanship and labour difficulties experienced by the contractor. These factors could not have been foreseen when the building was designed.

The Minister is satisfied that adequate attention was given to the supervision of the construction work.

HEALTH.

Paragraph 12—Grants to Health Authorities under the Health Services (Financial Provisions) Act, 1947.

The Minister is informed that considerable progress has been made since the Committee reviewed the position. The number of uncertified accounts has been reduced to 17, viz., 1 for 1954/55, 3 for 1955/56, and 13 for 1956/57. Every effort is being made to dispose of the cases in arrear.

STATIONERY OFFICE.

Paragraph 13—Commercial Accounts of the Government Publications Sale Office

The Minister understands that the commercial accounts of the Government Publications Sale Office would not in practice be ready for submission to the Comptroller and Auditor General by the 31st May following the year of account, which is now the latest date for the submission of Appropriation Accounts to him. To meet the Committee’s wishes as far as possible, however, the Minister will arrange for copies of the commercial accounts in question to be circulated, if available, to the Committee by the time they come to examine the Appropriation Account of the Vote for the Stationery Office and he trusts they will find this satisfactory.

SOCIAL INSURANCE.

Paragraph 14—Social Insurance Fund Investment Return.

On the dissolution of the National Health Insurance Society, the Society’s assets including Áras Brugha, its headquarter premises, became the property of the National Health Insurance Fund (now the Social Insurance Fund). Áras Brugha was sold for £300,000 to the Office of Public Works in February, 1955, after the staff had been moved to Áras Mhic Dhiarmada. The proceeds, which were paid into the Fund, reduced pro tanto, the investment in buildings and equipment and are accordingly set off against the cost of Áras Mhic Dhiarmada in calculating the investment return payable by the Exchequer.

It was decided in 1950 that it would not be necessary to provide for depreciation of the building at Áras Mhic Dhiarmada since the Office of Public Works would be responsible for the maintenance of the premises in the normal way. Past experience has shown that premises of this type, when properly maintained, were not subject to regular depreciation in value. The Minister regrets that information as to the amount of the charge to voted moneys for the maintenance of the premises is not available and cannot readily be obtained.

Negotiations on the lease of the Bus Station at Áras Mhic Dhiarmada to Córas Iompair Éireann are proceeding, but the terms of the lease, which will incorporate the rent, have not yet been finally settled. The Minister has requested that the negotiations should be pressed forward to completion.

GAELTACHT SERVICES.

Paragraph 16—Store accounting for stocks of finished goods.

The Minister understands that the Accounting Officer has furnished to the Committee a report and store reconciliation accounts relating to stores in the custody of the Department of the Gaeltacht which have been prepared in cooperation with the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General.

LANDS.

Paragraph 17—Repair of embankments.

The comments of the Committee are noted and will be borne in mind by the Minister and the Land Commission whenever future embarkment repairs are necessary.