asked the Minister for Local Government the total annual returns for the past decade of (a) moneys received from local authorities in respect of motor tax fees, etc.; (b) annual grants paid to local authorities in respect of road maintenance and improvement; and (c) miscellaneous annual expenses apportioned to the road fund revenue accounts.

50.

asked the Minister for Local Government if he will give the annual returns over the past decade of the gross proceeds from motor vehicles as detailed in the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General in appropriation accounts for local government.

With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 49 and 50 together.

The figures for gross proceeds from motor vehicle duties are contained in the annual reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General on the Appropriation Accounts, the most recent published being for 1969-70. The remainder of the information up to 1970-71 is contained in the annual Road Fund accounts.

Does the Parliamentary Secretary agree that since 1968, 25 per cent of the money from motor taxation has been siphoned off into the Exchequer and never reaches the Road Fund? Does he also agree there has been a sharp increase in the last two or three years from £1 million to £1.6 million in the expenses dispensed in the Customs House?

I am not so aware.

Why did the Parliamentary Secretary not answer the question straight instead of the way he did by referring to documents? There is not just one document but two different documents. It was a perfectly straight question and a straight answer would have occupied just as little space and a great deal less time.

The information I referred to is available in the Library.

The recent figures are not available.

The figures for the dates I have given are available.

Where a simple question like this is asked and the information is not readily available, because it is available in two different sets of documents, then the question should be answered properly and not in that indirect fashion.

I said the information is available in two different documents which are available in the Library.

In other words, the Parliamentary Secretary told the Deputy to go and hang himself.

Or words to that effect.

The Deputy can go and do some homework.