Committee Reports::Report - Appropriation Accounts 1960 - 1961::12 July, 1961::MIONTUAIRISC NA FINNEACHTA / Minutes of Evidence


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MIONTUAIRISC NA FINNEACHTA

(Minutes of Evidence)

Dé Céadaoin, 12 Iúil, 1961.

Wednesday, 12th July, 1961.

The Committee sat at 11.30 a.m.

Members Present:
Deputy	Booth,	Deputy	Jones,
„	P. J. Burke,	„	T. Lynch,
„	Geoghegan,	„	O’Toole,
		„	Sheldon.

Liam Ó Cadhla (An tArd-Reachtaire Cuntas agus Ciste) called and examined.

ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN.

1. Clerk.—The first business is to elect a Chairman of the Committee.

Deputy Sheldon.—I have just realised that I have been a member of the Committee of Public Accounts every year since 1944 and I find it rather sad to realise that this is the last time, in all probability, I shall have an opportunity to serve on it. However, the sadness is very much mitigated for me by the realisation that among the members there is one who not only takes a very deep interest in the Committee and its work, as indeed all the members do, but who appears to me to have just that particular grasp of the essentials which will go a very long way to making him a very efficient Chairman. It gives me great pleasure indeed to propose that Deputy Jones take the Chair.

Deputy P. J. Burke.—I second that.

Question put and agreed to.

DEPUTY JONES took the chair.

Chairman.—I am deeply grateful to Deputy Sheldon for his very kind remarks in proposing me for the chair of this Committee. This Committee of the House, representative as it is of the members of the Dáil, who hold, as I might say, a watching brief for the House at large, is, in my opinion, the most important Committee of the House and I am very mindful of the obligation which is imposed on both the Committee and its Chairman of transacting its business to the satisfaction of the House. I know that I can count on the assistance of the members during the term for which I shall hold this Chair and I seek their very ready co-operation. With the assistance of Mr. Ó Cadhla, I hope to be able to deal with the business of the Committee with expedition and well. I was very sorry to hear Deputy Sheldon give voice to the sentiments which he has expressed. I have served on this Committee for the past four years and I might say that quite an amount of what I have learned of the procedure of this Committee I have gathered from listening at this table very particularly to the questions put and the suggestions made so ably by Deputy Sheldon. There is no more for me to say except to put to Mr. Ó Cadhla the usual question as to whether he has any comment to make on when the Committee may hope to begin transacting its business.

Mr. Ó Cadhla.—I do not think the accounts will be ready before 1st October. The printers are rather slow in clearing the material at the moment, and there will be two or three weeks holidays next month, when the printing works will be closed down, but I will do all I can to expedite the production of the volume.

Chairman.—When the Appropriation Accounts volume is available, it will be circulated in the ordinary way and opportunity will then be taken to summon a further meeting of this Committee.

The Committee adjourned.