93 Mr. V. Brady asked the Minister for Finance if he will give details of the number of Parliamentary Questions tabled to him for the year 1991 and the total cost involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

In 1991 a total of 1,141 parliamentary questions were tabled to the Minister for Finance in the Dáil.

As to the cost involved, I would refer you to my reply to a question by Deputy Jim McDaid on 13th February last regarding the average cost of a parliamentary question. In that reply I referred to a survey of Government Departments in 1982 which revealed that the average cost of a parliamentary question was about £40 and indicated that the equivalent cost today, taking into account the general level of inflation since 1982, would be in the region of £64.