asked the Minister for Justice if he will state, in relation to the last Hospitals Sweepstake which he approved and for which completed accounts have been issued to Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas, the amount in pence from each £2 ticket sold allocated to the benefit of the health services.

: Section 13 of the Public Hospitals Act, 1933, provides that the accounts of each sweepstake shall be audited and that copies of such accounts shall be furnished to me and to each Member of the Oireachtas. For the purposes of calculating the amount of the moneys received, section 2 of the 1933 Act provides for the deduction from the nominal selling price of tickets of all commissions, prizes and other remuneration given in relation to the selling of such tickets. The statutory requirement to furnish audited accounts is being complied with by the sweepstakes committee. I am not in a position to give further information in regard to the sale of tickets.

: Why is the Minister not in a position to give the information requested? Has he got the information?

: The Irish Hospitals Sweepstakes promoters are not obliged to furnish my Department with the information to which the Deputy refers but, as I have stated, audited copies of accounts shall be furnished to each Member of the Oireachtas.

: Would the Minister not agree that there is bound to be widespread public concern as a result of the admission he has just made, that is, that the promoters of the Irish Hospitals Sweepstakes are not obliged to furnish the Department with the basic information requested in the question? Is the Minister not prepared to comment on the estimate that out of the proceeds of £2 for every ticket sold, the hospitals are lucky if they receive 20p?

: I have given the information that has been made available to me but there are other areas of information which there is no obligation on the promoters of the sweepstakes to make available.

: Perhaps we can deal with that on the next question.

: Though the Minister says that there is not an obligation on the sweepstakes people to provide the information in question, that does not preclude the possibility of the Department having that information. Therefore, is the information requested available, either on a voluntary basis or otherwise, to the Department?

: I have given the information that was sought.

: I am talking about the information that is the kernel of the question. Let us not play games.

: The information sought in the question has been given.

6.