Committee Reports::Interim and Final Report - Appropriation Accounts 1959 - 1960::02 November, 1960::Appendix


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APPENDIX XVIII.

PUBLIC ASSISTANCE FOOTWEAR SCHEME IN CO. CORK.

Cléireach,

An Coiste um Chuntais Phoiblí.

During my examination before the Public Accounts Committee on the 7th December, 1960, in connection with the Appropriation Account of the Vote for Social Assistance, 1959-60, I undertook to supply information as to the allocations of grant under the Public Assistance Footwear Scheme, with particular reference to the Cork Districts.

The annual allocation of grant to a public assistance authority is normally based on 50% of the net expenditure in the previous year unless such expenditure has exceeded the allocation for that year, in which case the allocation for the previous year is repeated. The authorities are notified, before the commencement of the scheme in November each year, of the maximum amount of grant which they will be entitled to receive in respect of that year and, generally speaking, each authority limits its expenditure on the service to approximately twice the amount of its allocation.

As regards the former North Cork and South Cork Public Assistance Districts, however, expenditure had increased so substantially by the year 1956-57, as compared with other areas, that it was decided to limit the grants in the case of these two authorities to the amounts of their allocations for that year in order to maintain an equitable distribution between all areas. Expenditure by both authorities since then has remained relatively stable although (except in the case of South Cork for 1959-60) at a higher level than twice the allocation.

The following table shows for each of the two authorities, the annual grant expressed as a percentage of the net annual expenditure since 1956-57:—

Area	Financial Year
	1956-57	1957-58	1958-59	1959-60
North Cork	30.8%	29.1%	30.4%	34.2%
South Cork	44.2%	43.0%	48.7%	50.0%

Each year the attention of the appropriate authority is drawn to the necessity for economical administration. Special notifications, indicating the adverse trend in expenditure, were sent to the Cork North and South authorities in August, 1956.

(Signed) P. J. KEADY,

Accounting Officer,

Department of Social Welfare.

5 Eanáir, 1961.