asked the Minister for Finance whether he will now give the particulars of the services referred to in his Budget speech on 4th May, 1948, when he stated that he was also taking account of further reductions in expenditure totalling £1,122,000 which he was closely pursuing and confidently expected to capture but of which it would be premature to give particulars until they were safely in the net.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Budget Speech.
The services on which it was believed that the sum mentioned might be saved were spread over a number of Votes, including Agriculture, Fisheries, Local Government, Defence and Alleviation of Distress. While the savings envisaged have not all materialised it is now expected that the actual reduction in expenditure will amount to £915,000.
The Minister mentioned agriculture in that connection?
Yes.
Was one of the savings a saving on the farm improvements scheme?
No.
Then on the Farm Buildings Scheme?
The former Minister estimated a sum for the Farm Buildings Scheme but the money was never intended to be spent by the Government.
£40,000,000 was supposed to be spent by Tibb's Eve, but last winter the Minister would not spend 1/- on farm buildings.
You are shameless.
Nothing was saved on farm improvements. Something was spent——
Not a bob was spent.
None of the money in the Estimate was saved by me as a matter of economy on farm improvements.
Not a shilling was spent.
Not a shilling on the Farm Improvements Scheme was saved by me as a matter of economy. That is the question that was asked. Not a shilling on that scheme was included in the economies. With regard to farm buildings, there was a certain amount saved for the reason, as indicated in a previous debate, that the Estimate was a complete fake.
That is an absolute untruth.
Deputy Smith, as Minister for Agriculture, was told by Deputy Lemass, the then Minister for Industry and Commerce, that the money was not there.
That is an absolute untruth.
Or, rather, that the money would not be spent because there was no cement there.
There was a surplus of cement.
The note that was on the file——
It is an absolute untruth.
Am I not permitted to answer the question? The note that was on the file of the Minister for Agriculture on the 11th December, when he replied that a scheme had been prepared and that he hoped to be in a position to announce it soon, was to this effect: "The Department of Industry and Commerce has now replied pointing out that progress under the proposed scheme must be restricted to the rate justified by cement supplies which are expected to be barely sufficient in 1948-49 for the continuance of building and engineering work on the present scale."
I did not accept that instruction.
And in the event there was a surplus of cement.
May I ask——
Question No. 58.