asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he has recently made investigation into the position of the Flour Milling Industry in the Saorstát; whether those mills are now working full time; how many of the mills are working part time; the number working full time; whether large quantities of foreign flour are being sold to bakers and other traders in the Saorstát at prices considerably lower than it is possible in the largest and most efficient of the Saorstát mills to produce; whether, as foreign flour has been delivered in large quantities to bakers and traders in the Saorstát over last eight months at 34/- per sack, and even a lower figure, he can state if the low price has been reflected in price of 4lb. loaf to the consumer over that period, and whether there is at the moment any relation between price of flour ex-mill and the price of the 4lb. loaf to the consumer.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - The Flour Milling Industry.
My Department is in constant touch with the position in the Flour Milling Industry. I am informed that results in the year 1929 compared favourably on the whole with those of preceding years. This information is confirmed generally by the fact that in 1929 flour imports were less by some 62,000 cwts. than in 1928 while imports of wheat were greater by some 965,000 cwts. Since Christmas there has occurred a sharp and abnormal fall in the price of wheat which caused buyers of flour generally to hold off orders. The result has been that most of the Irish mills were put on short time but I am informed that the mills in Great Britain and flour importers were affected in exactly the same way.
I have no evidence of the dumping of flour to the extent alleged in the question and no confirmation of the suggestion that any substantial quantity of flour has been imported during recent months at prices with which the efficient mills in the Saorstát were not prepared to compete. At the present quoted prices for Cross-Channel and Irish flour a price for bread of 10d. per 4lb. loaf delivered is justified according to the Report of the Tribunal on Prices.