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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 11 Apr 1961

Vol. 188 No. 1

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Commodity Retail Prices.

1.

asked the Taoiseach the average retail prices as at 1st March, 1957, and 1st March, 1961 (or nearest convenient date), of the following commodities: butter per lb., bread per 2-lb. loaf, flour per stone, sugar per lb., coal per ton, cigarettes per 20-packet, tobacco per oz., petrol per gallon, electricity per unit and gas per unit.

The information on retail prices available to the Central Statistics Office is that collected at the quarterly enquiries for the compilation of the Consumer Price Index. The appropriate data for 1957 relate to 11 February and the most recent particulars are those for 13 February, 1961. I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to include in the Official Report, a statement giving the available national average retail prices, at these dates, for certain of the items requested.

The items included in the statement relate to these commodities for which it is reasonably certain that the specification of the items priced is uniform throughout the country. In the case of cigarettes and tobacco, no attempt is made to price the same variety in different areas, though the variety priced is kept uniform at each reporting centre. For this reason, meaningful national average prices cannot be given for these items. In the case of electricity, since the average domestic price per unit to a consumer depends on the quantity consumed and on the nature of its use, the basic data for the price of electricity in the Consumer Price Index are derived from information supplied by the Electricity Supply Board. For the year ended 31 March, 1957, the average price charged per unit of domestic supply of electricity was 2.34 pence. For the year ended 31 March, 1960 (the latest date available) the corresponding figure was 2.40 pence per unit.

As in certain cases the price of gas also depends on the quantity used a single price cannot be given. The price of coal is shown per cwt. as this is the quantity for which quotations are received.

Following is the statement:—

NATIONAL average retail prices of certain commodities at mid-February, 1957 and mid-February, 1961.

Article

Unit

Average price to nearest ¼d.

Mid-February, 1957

Mid-February, 1961

s.

d.

s.

d.

Butter—Irish Creamery

lb.

3

4

,, Farmers'

,,

3

3

10¼

Bread

2 lb. loaf

9

1

Flour—household

14 lbs.

4

8

2¼*

Sugar

lb.

7

7

½

Coal

cwt.

11

8

Petrol:

Premium grade—

Dublin Area

gall.

4

7

4

11½

Provinces

,,

4

8

4

11½

Petrol:

Regular grade—

Dublin Area

4

4

8

Provinces

,,

4

4

8

* Based on price of 3½ lb. of flour.

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