asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will state (1) the volume of telegraph traffic in his Department for the year ended 31st March, 1958, under the following heads:— (a) internal, (b) outgoing to Great Britain, (c) incoming from Great Britain and (d) foreign, and (2) the percentage increase or decrease in volume as compared with the traffic for the years ended March, 1954, 1955, 1956 and 1957.

As the reply is in the form of a tabular statement, I propose with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to circulate it with the Official Report.

Following is the statement:—

CATEGORY OF TELEGRAMS

The figures in brackets indicate the percentage variation as compared with the preceding year.