andMr. Barrett asked the Minister for Finance the total subsidy granted to CIE from the Exchequer for the financial year 1976 in comparision with the amount received from CIE by way of all forms of taxation.

The total subsidy granted to CIE from the Exchequer during the year ended 31st December, 1976, was £31.9 million. In addition CIE receive payments from the Exchequer for services provided, the principal ones being for free travel for pensioners, £5 million, and for school transport, £5.4 million. As Deputies are aware, the transactions of individual concerns with the Revenue Commissioners are treated as confidential, so that information on the amount received from CIE by way of all forms of taxation cannot be given.

Will the Minister accept that the sums he mentioned as being payable for services such as school transport and free transport for pensioners are presumably payments related to the services rendered and do not form part of the subsidy so far as CIE are concerned?

That is so.

Further, will the Minister accept that in the case of CIE, a State company, the necessity for the secrecy properly observed by the Revenue Commissioners may not arise as it does in the normal way?

I do not accept that.

Will the Minister accept that it is a matter of some public importance that the public should be informed as to the net cost to the Exchequer of subsidy to CIE, taking account of the matters mentioned in the question, namely, the total subsidy and total revenue from CIE in the form of taxation?

It seems to me that this information could be available to the Deputy if he made a simple subtraction. However, I have some further information for the Deputy as follows: social welfare—free travel for pensioners—£4.4 million; defence— Army pensioners, free transport—£0.6 million; education—school transport— £5.4 million. This makes a total of £10.4 million.

I think that the Minister has accepted that that is not relevant to the question asked.

It is relevant so far as I am concerned.