asked the Taoiseach the number of tourists to the Republic from Northern Ireland as a percentage of those from the Republic visiting Northern Ireland.

In 1986, the latest year for which information is available, the number of visitors to the Republic from Northern Ireland was nearly 224 per cent of those visiting Northern Ireland from the Republic.

Can the Minister of State tell us whether there has been co-operation between the northern and southern tourist authorities to try to improve the flow to the North which I am sure the Minister of State would agree would be of great benefit in improving relations between both parts of this island?

Where statistical information is concerned, there is co-operation between the two bodies and the figures which I have just given were arrived at from information which was supplied by the Northern Ireland tourist body and Bord Fáilte.