asked the Minister for Defence if he will indicate each subhead of each Vote for which he is responsible which is to be increased in the 1981 Estimates by less than 16 per cent and/or the officially expected rate of inflation in 1981; and how economies, if any, are to be made in respect of each sub-head so as to keep within the provision in the subhead.

3.

asked the Minister for Defence how he proposes to effect the following reductions in expenditure as provided in the Book of Estimates on the following subheads: (a) £10,000 for consultancy services, (b) £1.5 million on defensive equipment, (c) £4.3 million on the £5.9 million spent last year for defensive stores, (d) £4.4 million on the £6.8 million spent last year on naval stores, (e) £88,000 on Post Office services, (f) £283,000 on the £436,000 spent last year on sail training, (g) £11,000 on the £31,000 spent last year on marine pollution control; and how he expects to collect an additional £2.3 million in appropriations-in-aid.

With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos 2 and 3 together. The detailed information sought by the Deputy can more appropriately be dealt with when the Estimates for my Department come before the Dáil.

In the meantime I should like to state that the allocations shown in the Book of Estimates conform with the overall allocations decided by the Government and the necessary steps will be taken to ensure that they will not be exceeded.

In his reply the Minister referred to a later Estimate for his Department. Has he any idea when that will be?

I will be ready when we are asked.

Not every Estimate is debated. Is the Minister sure his will be?

I hope so.

Will stores be run down during the year?

No. We do not order the same equipment each year, as the Deputy knows.

The same equipment is used every year and if there was a given stock at the beginning of the year and the Minister is providing less this year than last year, presumably there will be less towards the end of the year than there was towards the beginning?

Some of the stores last year were substantial payments on aircraft and helicopters which do not occur this year. We will still have those items.

How does the Minister endeavour to cut down by £88,000 on the use of the postal services?

We got a credit from the Department of Posts and Telegraphs for the period of the postal strike.

How can the Minister have got a credit for the postal strike? Did the Minister pay them for letters that were not sent?

We had paid them and we duly got credit from them.

Question No. 4.

Paid the money for letters—

Would the Minister for Finance please reply to Question No. 4?

It was paid in 1979 and we got credit afterwards.

It makes no sense at all.