asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs how many auditions were given by Radio Éireann in the past 12 months to (a) applicants from Dublin and (b) applicants from all other parts of Ireland; and how many applicants were successful from each of those areas.

I suggest to the Deputy that statistical information of this sort should be sought direct from Radio Éireann. I am afraid, however, that in the present case the director would be unable to supply the number of auditions and that even the computation of the number of succesful applicants would involve an undue amount of research work.

Could the Minister give any indication whether there are more successful applicants from the country than from Dublin? I believe there are more from Dublin.

It would be practically impossible to find that out because the particulars are contained in a very large number of individual files and also many of the auditions are held on the road by outside broadcast officers and no particulars are available except of those who were selected and given engagements.

Could the Minister not answer the first part of the question — how many are successful in Dublin? That seems to be quite a simple question to answer.

It would be very hard to obtain that information.

I shall give the Minister the answer: practically all are from Dublin and none from outside.

It would not be worth their while to come up to Radio Éireann from the country for what they would earn.