asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will give comparative figures showing the cost of living in Saorstát Eireann and in England as at January, 1926, so as to show by the percentage increases over the prices prevailing in England in 1914 to what extent the present cost of living in the Saorstát exceeds the cost of living in England.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - COST OF LIVING IN SAORSTÁT—COMPARISON WITH ENGLAND.
No figures are available for comparing the actual cost of living with that in another country, as it would be impossible to ensure that the same prices, even if obtained in full detail for both countries, referred to the same quality of goods. My Department does publish in the quarterly report on the cost of living, and will soon publish in the report for January, a comparison between the percentage increase in the cost of living in the Free State since 1924 with the percentage increase in Great Britain during the same period.