Committee Reports > List of Committees > Dáil > 1971 > Committee of Public Accounts > Final Report - Northern Ireland Relief Expenditure

IMEACHTAÍ AN CHOISTE

PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE

Dé Céadaoin, 28 Iúil, 1971.

Wednesday, 28 July, 1971.

1. The Committee met at 4 p.m.

2. Members Present.

The following members were present:—

Deputy Patrick Hogan (in the Chair), Deputies Barrett, R. Burke, Cluskey, E. Collins, Dowling, FitzGerald, H. Gibbons, MacSharry, Nolan and Tunney.

3. Mr. E. F. Suttle (Comptroller and Auditor General) was in attendance in an advisory capacity.

4. The Committee noted Mr. C. H. Murray’s letter of 28 July, 1971 [not published] enclosing an extract from a letter of 17 September 1969 by Colonel Hefferon to the Department of Finance containing an estimate for the running of an office in Monaghan.

5. Motion made (Deputy Tunney):

“That, mindful of (i) the terms of the Order of the Dáil under which the Committee was requested to investigate the expenditure of the £100,000 Grant-in-Aid for Relief of Distress in Northern Ireland, (ii) the volume of relevant evidence already collected and (iii) the changed circumstances of the Committee resulting from the decision of the Supreme Court, and satisfied that the Committee is unlikely to obtain much further relevant evidence, the Committee now proceed to the preparation of its report for submission to Dáil Éireann as soon as possible.”

Amendment proposed (Deputy FitzGerald):

“To delete all words after ‘That’ and substitute ‘(i) the Committee start work on its report as from next week, (ii) Captain Kelly’s request to personally cross-examine the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries and Chief Superintendent Fleming be granted, that both be summoned to attend on Wednesday next at 4 p.m. for this purpose and that Captain Kelly be informed accordingly, (iii) Deputy Ó Móráin be summoned to attend next week subject to the receipt of a reply from the Minister for Justice in relation to certain files, (iv) Mr. C. H. Murray be summoned next week to complete his evidence, (v) Mr. F and Mr. H be informed of what the judgment of the Supreme Court requires of the Committee, and that they be asked to inform the Committee of their views within forty eight hours as the Committee wish to make a decision on the matter next week, and (vi) Mr. Séamus Brady be informed that the Committee is arranging for the conclusion of the taking of evidence.’ ”

Question:—“That the amendment be made”—put.

The Committee divided: For, 9; Against, 1.

The Question was declared carried accordingly.

Main Question, as amended, put and agreed to.

6. Ordered: that the following statement be issued to the Press:

“The Committee is making arrangements for the early conclusion of the taking of evidence and will be commencing preparatory work on its report next week.”

7. Adjournment.

The Committee adjourned at 6.45 p.m. until 11.30 a.m. tomorrow.