Chapter 2 — Finance

Adequacy of funding

The Reports show a credit balance for most of the 1950s in Glin but, as in Artane, falling numbers made the situation more difficult going in to the 1960s. A figure of £7,000 was recorded in the building fund for most of the 1950s and 1960s.

Carriglea also had references to the sound state of its finances. In 1936, the Visitor stated: ‘the Institution is in a sound state financially’. In 1937, the bursar was instructed that ‘The salaries of the Brothers should be debited against the school just as are the salaries of other officers of the Institution’.

Visitation Reports throughout the 1940s criticised the lack of proper book-keeping in Carriglea, although such figures as could be extracted indicated that the school was making a surplus for most of the years it operated. In 1951, it was again described as appearing to be ‘in a sound financial position’.

In 1953 the Visitor remarked: With almost £11,000 to its credit in the Bank and £4000 in the Building Fund, the financial position of the establishment is satisfactory. By some judicious method this £11,000 should be transferred to the Building Fund. To transfer it all by one cheque might not be desirable, as the Government – and possibly other parties also – seem to be anxious to probe into the financial position of industrial schools.

In 1954, the Visitor stated: The finances of this institution....are in a very sound condition. There is a sum of £16,000 invested in the Building Fund....

There was little in the Visitation Reports of Carriglea to indicate an institution struggling to survive financially.

In 1954, the numbers in Letterfrack were reduced substantially in order to restrict that Institution to boys convicted of criminal offences. Prior to 1954, it was not a very large school with numbers ranging from 130 to 170. In 1954, the Superior observed: Financially you are solvent but it is evident that there is not a whole lot of money to spare when one considers the need for expenditure.

In 1955 however, the Visitor stated: The finances for the year 1954 are remarkably satisfactory. The total credit balance rose from £3117 14.5 to £3573.0.1. There was a surplus income in the school a/c of £914.7.4 in spite of an abnormal purchase of a car for £521.

By 1956, the situation had deteriorated, but even then the Visitor sounded a note of optimism: ‘With growing numbers his [the Manager’s] position is gradually though slowly improving.’

In 1960, the Visitor remarked: The financial position of the establishment is not too sound but if the numbers can be maintained about their present level [110] the place could carry on.

That forecast proved correct. In 1962 the Visitor observed: One wonders why the financial position of this house is not bad considering all the repairs and renovations which have been carried out during the past four years. If the various County Councils pay up their portion of the contribution due, the house should be solvent at the end of the year.

The financial situation was described as ‘sound’ in 1962 and ‘by no means bad’ in 1964. By 1972, the Visitor could state: Both house and school are in good financial condition. On December 30 1972, there was a balance of 12,000 pounds in the house accounts and of 15,000 pounds in the school account.

Letterfrack closed the following year.

These extracts from the Congregations’ Visitors do not indicate a chronic shortage of funds in Letterfrack. The shortage that was encountered by the reduction in numbers appears to have been quickly made up. Letterfrack, like all Industrial Schools, was largely dependent on the capitation allowance and it appears that even at a time of reduced numbers, this was sufficient to generate a substantial surplus by 1972.

In 1940, the Visitor to Tralee Industrial School made the following observation arising out of the separation of the Industrial School, St Joseph’s, from the larger Community of Brothers who lived in the adjoining monastery of St Mary’s: The only debt on the establishment is the sum of £600 due to St Mary’s Tralee. At the time the two Communities were separated it was arranged that St Joseph’s should contribute to St Mary’s £600 annually to help towards liquidating the debt on the new secondary school. This sum has been paid regularly up to 1938 but has not been paid for the year 1939.