asked the Minister for Supplies whether he is aware that the failure to make any allowance for transport purposes to rural areas in the Prices Order fixing the price of fish has made it impossible for rural fishmongers to carry on their trade; and, if so, if he will amend the Order to permit of transport charges being added to the fixed retail prices of fish in areas outside Dublin.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Position of Rural Fishmongers.
I am not aware that the absence from the Emergency Powers (Fish) (Maximum Prices) Order, 1944, of a provision to allow them to increase the maximum prices for fish laid down in the Order, by any costs incurred in transport of such fish, is making it impossible for rural fishmongers to carry on their trade, and I see no reason why this should be the case. I, therefore, do not intend to amend the Order in the manner suggested by the Deputy.
If the Minister fixed a price which was fair for fish in Dublin, presumably he fixed the lowest price which, in his judgment, would be fair to the retail fishmongers, and how can the fishmonger in the extreme West of Ireland purchase fish on the same terms as the retailer in Dublin, ship it down to the West of Ireland or to the North of Ireland and there sell it at the same price as the fishmonger in Dublin, if he is not allowed to add on the cost of freight from Dublin to the place of retail sale?
The margin between the maximum wholesale and maximum retail price is adequate to permit the rural fishmonger to make a reasonable profit. If we were to take into account the higher transport charges which a rural fishmonger may have to meet, we would obviously also be obliged to take into account other charges of rural fishmongers which might or might not be higher than those of traders in Dublin.
Surely it is true that in connection with almost every other fixed price Order made by the Minister, he has provided, in addition to the fixed price, that the cost of transport to the point of distribution may be added. That appears in dozens of Orders made by the Minister.
It does not.
Now, it does, because I operated them myself repeatedly. Is the Minister not aware that numerous rural fishmongers have been obliged to go out of business simply because they cannot afford to pay the transport charges out of the margin of profit referred to by him? Inasmuch as it is desirable to promote the consumption of fish throughout the rural areas for the sake of the industry itself, would the Minister not reconsider the matter? All that is at issue is 1d. or 1½d. per lb.
There is still an ample margin to give the rural fishmonger a reasonable profit.
I assure him there is not, and I have been a fishmonger for a number of years.
What is the percentage difference between the maximum wholesale and maximum retail prices?
There is a very long schedule covering all classes of fish caught under various circumstances.
Could the Minister say what the average is?
There is no average. The Deputy will have to study the schedule for himself.
And the Minister would need to know how many fish go bad out of every box before he could deal with that question.