asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the reasons for the delay in publishing the findings of the Fair Trade Commission on the inquiry into the supply and distribution of groceries.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Supply and Distribution of Groceries.
The Deputy will appreciate that the contents of a report by the Fair Trade Commission could not be published until the report is received by the Minister.
I am informed that the report is at present being prepared.
Can the Minister tell us how long the report is in course of preparation?
I hope this supplementary information will be of some help to the Deputy. This was the longest public inquiry ever held by the Fair Trade Commission. It went on for ten weeks, a total of 38 days; 110 witnesses were examined at public sittings and of these 48 were also examined in private. Based on all the work flowing from that, the commission is now preparing a report, and it should reach me in the course of the next month or so.