asked the Minister for Finance the overall cost of each of the Government "think-ins" in Barrettstown Castle, County Kildare; the main heading under which costs were incurred and the amount expended under each of the principal headings on each occasion.

The answer is in the form of a tabular statement which, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to circulate with the Official Report.

Following is the statement:

Costs were incurred on security which are chargeable to Vote 23. It is the practice not to disclose information about the cost of security of any particular operation.

The total cost, exclusive of security, incurred on the two Government meetings was £4,122.67.

Could the Minister tell us very roughly what was the total amount involved? If he casts his eye over the figures he might be able to give us a rough idea of the total amount of money involved.

We do not wish to follow the practice of having questions asked on tabular statements; otherwise, they would serve no purpose.

Surely it is up to the Minister of State?

The Chair has a problem here, not to allow a precedent to be established.

Is the Chair giving a ruling that no questions which are answered by form of tabular statement can encounter any supplementary questions at all?

The Chair would prefer that there were not, because otherwise tabular statements would be of little use.

Would the Chair not exercise his discretion in this case if the Minister is prepared to answer?

I think the Chair has permitted some questions in the past.

The Deputy will find it was worthwhile and very cheap.

Everybody has accepted that it was very cheap.

I am sure the House would be interested in the information if the Minister could give us a rough idea of the total, He will not be pressed unduly on it.

The total cost, exclusive of security, incurred by the two Government meetings was £4,122.67.

I wonder why security was excluded. Is security not a legitimate part of the cost.

It is not all that cheap either. It would not have cost as much in a hotel.

It is the practice of the Department of Justice not to disclose the cost of any security operations.