A £3 bonus for triplets – Government to wind up century-old contingency fund

The Government is to wind down a contingency fund established in 1923 and previously used to pay a “bounty” to the parents of triplets and to reimburse Dublin Corporation for the cost of sending fire brigades to Belfast during the second World War.

Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers will brief Cabinet on plans to wind down the fund, which holds €1.2 million and has not been used for 22 years.

It was established to pay for unexpected expenses – with an initial budget of £20,000 for costs not covered by normal allocations – although it was also used, Dáil records show, for a £3 bounty to the parents of triplets.

In 1930 it was also used to reimburse the government representative for expenses incurred in travelling to the funeral of French general Marshal Ferdinand Foch, and for advances towards the expenses incurred by the British vice-consul at Suez “in respect of the bringing home of the remains of the late Miss Mary J Plunkett”.

Dáil debates show it was also used to pay £355 to Dublin Corporation in 1942 for the “cost of fire brigade services rendered in Belfast following air raids”.

Officials have recommended that other budget mechanisms are more suitable for contingency funding and the outstanding balance will be returned to the exchequer.

Meanwhile, Minister for Finance Simon Harris will brief Cabinet on plans to tweak the rules under which Home Building Finance Ireland (HBFI), which operates under his department, can target loans.

The HBFI was set up in 2019 to support the construction of homes and has approved more than €4 billion since.

Under the planned reforms, it will be able to target lending to smaller builders to finance the development of residentially zoned lands before they get planning.

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The memo is being brought alongside Minister for Housing James Browne. Ministers will be told the aim is to support smaller builders and to activate viable development land.

Harris will also update Cabinet on the allocation of €1 billion for the Future Ireland Fund (FIF), which was flagged on budget day. The FIF is designed to help the State meet the costs associated with ageing and demographic changes.

By the end of 2027, almost €23 billion will have been moved into the fund, with another €8 billion expected to be in the Infrastructure Climate and Nature Fund by the same time.

Chambers will also update Cabinet on accelerating the transfer of lands between State agencies for critical infrastructure, which was identified in last year’s accelerating infrastructure report.

Such transfers, the report found, often took longer than the acquisition of private land.

State entities have been directed to prioritise the transfer of lands for infrastructure and to streamline internal approval processes to reduce the time taken to complete transactions.

Minister for Education Hildegarde Naughton will tell Cabinet that the Forum on Inclusive Education for Students With Special Needs has been established.

Minister for Higher Education James Lawless will seek approval for Ireland’s participation in the Bologna Process, a voluntary structure to promote intergovernmental co-operation at third level.