Committee Reports > List of Committees > Dáil > 1962 > Committee of Public Accounts > Report - Appropriation Accounts 1960 - 1961

APPENDIX II.

MINUTE OF THE MINISTER FOR FINANCE ON REPORT DATED 22 FEBRUARY, 1961, OF THE COMMITTEE OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS.

Paragraphs 1, 15, 16 and 18.

These paragraphs do not appear to call for comment.

NATIONAL GALLERY.

Paragraph 2—Inventory of Pictures.

A summary catalogue of all the oil paintings in the Gallery has been prepared by the Director and is in course of printing. All pictures other than oil paintings (water colours, prints, etc.) are registered; the preparation and publication of catalogues from the registers will be proceeded with in due course.

RATES ON GOVERNMENT PROPERTY.

Paragraph 3—Payments for Water Supplies.

The financial arrangements in respect of the supply of water to State-owned premises are being reviewed with a number of Local Authorities and the question of overpayments will be examined in that connection.

POSTS AND TELEGRAPHS.

Paragraph 4—Erroneous payment by the Post Office Savings Bank.

Approximately £128 has now been recovered. Efforts to recover the remainder are continuing and the Committee will be informed of the final outcome.

DEFENCE.

Paragraph 5—Leasing of properties at Haulbowline.

The Minister has noted the Committee’s view regarding the procedure followed in connection with the agreement concerning the construction of the jetty in Haulbowline.

Paragraph 6—Provision of adequate fire protection in Army barracks.

Draft comprehensive regulations on the subject of fire prevention and fire fighting in military barracks and posts have been received from the Department of Defence and are being examined.

PUBLIC WORKS AND BUILDINGS.

Paragraph 7—Inventories of furniture in Embassies and Legations abroad.

Inventories of furniture, etc., are now available in the Office of Public Works for twenty-one of the thirty-three premises occupied by Irish Missions abroad. For a further six premises, inventories are being prepared or checked. Inventories for the remaining six premises will be prepared as soon as possible.

HEALTH.

Paragraph 8—Health Services.

Arrangements have been made for the furnishing annually of a statement of expenditure by health authorities on the lines requested by the Committee.

EXCHEQUER EXTRA RECEIPTS.

Paragraph 9—Exchequer Extra Receipts.

The examination of this matter has been completed and appropriate instructions have been issued to Accounting Officers.

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND.

Paragraph 10—National Development Fund.

The information requested in paragraph 10 of the Committee’s report is set out in the form of a table with explanatory notes in the appendix to this minute.

EXTERNAL AFFAIRS.

Paragraph 11—Submission of sub-accounts by Missions abroad.

The Minister has been informed that the Accounting Instructions issued to all Missions abroad provide, inter alia, that an account recording all items of receipt and expenditure in each month, certified by the Head of Mission, should be forwarded in duplicate, and with all relevant vouchers attached, to the Department of External Affairs not later than fourteen days after the close of the month.

In practice, the Missions abroad have on occasion been unable to comply fully with this instruction, either because of pressure of other work or because of temporary staff shortages, and in the financial year 1959-60 a number of accounts from Missions abroad were late in reaching the Department of External Affairs. Since then, however, there has been a marked improvement in the submission of these accounts.

DEFENCE.

Paragraph 12—Consumption of electricity.

In order to control the consumption of electric current in soldiers’ married quarters, the proposals of the Department of Defence for the provision of separate meters in these quarters have been approved. The Department have been asked to press forward the negotiations with the Electricity Supply Board for the direct charging of the occupants by the Board.

PUBLIC WORKS AND BUILDINGS.

Paragraph 13—Enforcement of Contracts.

The difficulty in this matter arose not because of any defect in the procedure for enforcement of contracts by the Commissioners of Public Works, but because enforceable contracts did not exist. As the Committee is aware, the defect in the arrangements for the placing of contracts by the Commissioners has been rectified by the adoption of the procedure provided by section 23 of the State Property Act, 1954.

The procedure for the enforcement of Government contracts is well defined and has proved satisfactory in practice. The Minister is advised that the Accounting Officer, when referring in his evidence to different practices and methods, had in mind official procedures in general and not merely those relating to the placing or enforcement of contracts.

Paragraph 14—Stores control at the Central Engineering Workshop.

The Minister is advised that the need to acquire extensive and varied plant and adequate stocks of spare parts to service machines arose just following the end of the second World War when market conditions were difficult. The spare parts catalogue for an average sized excavator lists several thousand different components. It will be appreciated that the selection of spares for purchase presented a difficult problem, particularly as some of the plant items were of a type not previously in extensive use and as the designs of even the more conventional kind of machine had been much altered as a result of war-time development. The Korean War gave rise to further uncertainties and substantial purchases of reserve stocks were made in accordance with approved policy. In the circumstances, the Commissioners’ concern was to guard against a disruption of their works programme and the losses which would arise if machines had to remain idle for periods for want of spares. Major changes have been made in the organisation of the Workshop and Stores, especially in the sphere of purchasing and material control, and it is expected that, when the changes have been implemented, a recurrence of this kind will not be possible.

POSTS AND TELEGRAPHS.

Paragraph 17—Checking of telegraph fees.

The Department of Posts and Telegraphs has continued to apply the revived check to these receipts. The survey carried out by that Department when it discovered the misappropriations referred to cover the traffic records at all telegraph offices for the preceding two years and would have disclosed any similar misappropriation. The checks carried out since have not revealed any further misappropriations.

Paragraph 19—Embezzlement of Savings Deposit at a Sub-Post Office.

The circumstances of this case are under consideration by the Departmental Committee referred to in paragraph 20 of the Report. These frauds were, however, made possible by the failure of depositors to ensure that they had got proper receipts for their deposits and it is difficult to envisage a system of inspection that would reveal such circumstances.

Paragraph 20—Safeguarding of public funds at Sub-Post Offices.

The Committee will be informed of the outcome of the Departmental examination as soon as it is completed.

APPENDIX.

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND—WINDING-UP ACCOUNT.

Details of outstanding commitments.

Notes:

1. The delay in completing the project is mainly due to (1) the necessity for a revision of portion of the scheme in the light of flooding subsequent to that experienced in 1954/55 and (2) difficulty in obtaining agreement of certain parties for the reconstruction of dwellings.

2. It is not possible at this stage to estimate the extent of any further expenditure. It would not, however, exceed £11,600. It is expected that no further payments will be made after 31 March, 1962.

3. Ioctar an deóntas i tráth-chodanna d’reir mar caitear suimeanna áirithe ar an obair thógála. Críochnaíodh an obair le déanaí agus meastar go mbeidh an deóntas iomlán íoctha i gcionn tamaill ghearr.

4. Further estimated expenditure is made up as follows:—

(1) £433 due to the North Western Cattle Breeding Society in respect of work done; and

(2) £1,875 in respect of the cost of construction of additional bull pens at the Society’s main station. This grant recently sought was approved on condition that the society would forthwith extend the A.I. service to all districts in their operational area.

5. The further expenditure of £600 is in respect of the provision of sanitary accommodation at the premises of St. Brendan’s Co-operative Onion Growers’ Society, Ltd., Castlegregory, Co. Kerry. The completion of this work must await the extension of the sewerage system by the Kerry Co. Council to the Society’s premises.

6. The original programme was for the planting of 500 acres in a period of five years, planting to be completed by 31st March, 1960 and the final payments made by October, 1964. It was not possible to secure the required number of good quality trees to enable this programme to be carried through without extending the period for planting. 412 acres have been planted to date and it is expected that 88 acres will be planted in 1961/62 to complete the programme. The last of the maintenance grants of £10 per acre at the maximum payable for each of the four years after planting will not, therefore, be paid until October, 1966.

7. The allocation was provided to defray the cost of buildings, furniture and equipment required for the establishment of the station. The buildings are sited on thick blanket bog and are in many respects experimental in design. Some revision of the original plans proved to be necessary with consequent delay in the execution of the work. The expenditure still to be met is in respect of equipment, furnishings, etc., for which accounts have not yet been presented to the Department of Agriculture.

8. The outstanding works comprise the erection of—

(1) engineering workshops and a turkey-hatchery;

(2) new cattle boxes, a grain store, byre and two residences;

(3) new piggeries.

The works listed at (1) are expected to be completed within the current year and those at (2) above by December, 1962. As regards (3), in view of the facilities which are being provided at the Pig Progeny Station at Cork, Department of Agriculture is reconsidering this scheme and a decision has yet to be reached in the matter.

9. A sum of £88,000 was allocated from the National Development Fund for erection of three progeny testing stations. The first station was set up at the Munster Institute farm in Cork. The erection of a second pig progeny testing station at Thorndale was delayed pending experience of the first station at Cork and inspection of similar establishments in other countries by officers of the Department and of the Office of Public Works. It is estimated that the cost of the proposed station at Thorndale will exhaust the balance of £52,500.

10. The outstanding works comprise the erection of two residences, a new laboratory block, greenhouses and provision of storage. Certain research activities for which provision had been made in the original plans were transferred to An Foras Talúntais on its establishment. This necessitated considerable revision of the plant and held up progress with this stage of the project. Further greenhouses, controlled climate chambers and storage accommodation are to be erected at a later stage.

11. Further anticipated expenditure will be in respect of the repair of bog and accommodation roads (carried out by Special Employment Schemes Office). The initiative in the matter of having repairs carried out rests with the bog owners and others concerned in delivering turf to the stations. Applications for grants from such persons are submitted through the general supervisor of the local generating station as and when repairs are necessary and it is not possible to take any action to expedite this process.

12. Dublin:

The grant was 60% of the cost of the works to be undertaken by the Dublin Port and Docks Board subject to a maximum of £527,400. The Board expect to be able to complete the work within two or three years.

13. Cork:

The grant related to portion of a major reconstruction scheme at Cork port which necessarily extended over a considerable period.

14. Limerick:

The grant is in respect of certain improvement works at Limerick Harbour. The works have been completed except for the deepening of the Old Dock area. Several factors have contributed to the delay in completing the works including heavy silting of the river in 1959.

15. The work was completed prior to 31 March, 1961. Part of the outstanding sum of £1,505 has since been paid and the remainder will be paid shortly.