asked the Taoiseach the total costs incurred by his Department arising directly or indirectly from the visit of President Reagan to Ireland in respect of (a) the Government Information Service, and (b) other expenses.

All the accounts relating to this event have not yet come to hand and it will be some time before the total cost will be known. It is not in any event the practice to give details of such expenditure.

When the accounts do come to hand is it proposed to make them public?

I have explained that it is not the practice to give details of expenditure on such occasions.

Presumably the accounts will give a total figure and is it intended to publish that?

It is not intended to publish anything. If the Deputy wishes to raise it again he may do so.

I did not hear the reply.

It is not the practice to publish figures of the cost of visits in any country but if the Deputy wishes to put down a question later on, that is another matter. However, the Government will not be taking the initiative in publishing figures of that kind as it would be without point or precedent.

Question No. 2 postponed.