asked the Minister for Finance if he will give particulars, including dates, of the journeys abroad by each Minister during the past two years, stating the purpose and cost of each such journey.

asked the Minister for Finance if he will state (i) what Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries have been outside this country on official business since February, 1948; (ii) the business and the amount of expenses involved in each case; (iii) whether any Minister attended to business outside this State at his own expense, and (iv) the total cost to the State of such trips abroad to date.

I propose to take Questions No. 22 and No. 23 together. The reply is in the form of a tabular statement which, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to have included in the Official Report.

With regard to (iii) of Deputy Flanagan's question, I am not in a position to supply any information as what Ministers do at their own expense is entirely a private affair.

Does the Minister agree that it is the overwhelming opinion of our citizens that our Ministers and members of the Oireachtas who have gone on various missions abroad have done such wonderful work that it cannot be valued in terms of money?