asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state the lowest economic retail price at which creamery butter could be sold at the present time.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Price of Butter.
3/5 per lb. in bulk; 3/6 per lb. in lb. rolls.
Will the Minister say what margin is allowed to wholesalers and retailers on this figure?
Is the Deputy inquiring if there is a fixed price wholesale and retail?
The Minister, I understand, has given, as requested in the question, the economic price. I want to know what margin is allowed to the wholesale and retail trade on the handling and sale of the butter.
I am afraid that if the Deputy wants to know what difference there is between the cost of the production of butter ex-creamery and 3/6 I must ask him to put down another question when I will provide the information.
Surely the figure of 3/6 arrived at here must be made up of different items. In arriving at that figure, the price ex-creamery, the price ex-wholesale store and the price over the counter must have been taken into consideration. What I want to know is, what margin is allowed to the wholesale and retail trade?
I do not intend to charge myself with the apportionment of profit amongst the various branches of the distributing trade, but I shall gladly inform the Deputy as to the total differential between the cost of production and the retail price here specified if he will ask me that question.
I do not see why there should be this hesitancy on the part of the Minister to tell me something that he must know.
The Minister seems to be anxious to answer you.