asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the amount of money paid to sub-postmasters in each year from 1976 to 1981 for telephone work; and the number of sub-postmasters involved.

As the information required by the Deputy is in the form of a tabular statement, I propose to circulate it with the Official Report.

The information requested is as follows:

I would like the Minister to read the reply here in the House.

It is a very long reply. The Minister is not obliged to read it.

There are only five years involved. All I want to know is five totals for those years.

There are ten totals.

There are five in Question No. 29 and five in Question No. 30.

There are ten for Question No. 30 and 12 for Question No. 29.

I believe the Minister is trying to evade his responsibility.

The Deputy will get the reply and then he can take action on it.

Can the Chair give me an assurance that he will allow me to raise this on the adjournment?

The Chair cannot give any such assurance. Every case is considered on its merits. If the case merits it I will be glad to consider it.

But the reply in the House is totally unsatisfactory. What I have from the Minister amounts to nothing.

The Deputy has asked for tabular information and he got it.

I did not ask for tabular information.

Well, it is in the form of a tabular statement.