asked the Minister for Justice if he will hold a public inquiry into the operation of the Irish Hospital Sweepstakes and the relevant legislation.

: No.

: In relation to that bland reply, is the Minister prepared to accept the fact that there is increasing and widespread public concern about the activity, about the public accountability and about the operations of the Irish Hospitals Sweepstakes in that the amount contributed from that source to public health finance is approximately half of 1 per cent of the total which is no justification for these operations that are being conducted in the name of this country and, to some degree of this Parliament, abroad? The time is long overdue for an inquiry into these operations.

: If the Deputy is concerned about particular areas that are not dealt with in the audited accounts, for example, agents' fees and commissions, which are deducted from the proceeds, I should be interested in hearing from him in that regard but for him to make a bland statement and to incite a feeling that there is something wrong should put him in the position of being more forthcoming in regard to any information he may have.

: Is the Minister prepared either to confirm or to deny that the concern I am expressing and which is being expressed by many people outside this House, is a concern that successive governments have had?

: I shall neither confirm nor deny that.

: For obvious reasons.