asked the Taoiseach the average prices of the following commodities (a) in March, 1957, and (b) at the latest convenient date: flour, bread, butter, tobacco, sugar, tea, clothing, whiskey, wine, stout, beer and cigarettes.
5.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Prices of Commodities and Services.
4.
asked the Taoiseach what increases have taken place since March 1957, in the following: bus fares, rail fares, rents, postal charges, telephone charges, radio licences, Health Act charges, and motor insurance.
The only relevant information available to the Central Statistics Office is that collected at the quarterly inquiries for the calculation of the Consumer Price Index numbers. The appropriate data for 1957 relate to 11 February and the most recent particulars are those for 12 November, 1962. I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 4 and 5 together and to circulate in the Official Report a statement giving (a) the national average retail prices at these dates for certain of the commodities requested and (b) the percentage change in the cost of the other items between the periods, in so far as they are available. In the case of items, other than certain food items, no attempt is made to obtain quotations for the identical quality of the different articles in all areas and therefore any average prices computed would not be meaningful. The correctness of the relative price changes is ensured by the fact that, at each source, the identical article is priced at successive inquiries. Particulars of the cost of radio licences, Health Act charges, motor insurance and wine are not included in the computation of the index numbers.
Following is the statement:—
NATIONAL average retail prices of certain commodities at mid-February, 1957 and mid-November, 1962
|
Commodity |
Unit |
Average price to nearest ¼d. |
|||
|
Mid-February, 1957 |
Mid-November, 1962 |
||||
|
s. |
d. |
s. |
d. |
||
|
Flour—household |
3½ lbs. |
1 |
0¾* |
2 |
1 |
|
Bread |
2 lb. loaf |
9 |
1 |
4 |
|
|
Butter—Irish creamery |
lb. |
3 |
8¾ |
4 |
6½ |
|
— ,,farmers' |
,, |
3 |
4¾ |
3 |
10¾ |
|
Sugar |
,, |
7 |
8¼ |
||
|
Tea—best |
,, |
8 |
3 |
7 |
5¾ |
|
—as used by wage-earning classes |
,, |
7 |
1¼ |
6 |
2¼ |
* One fourth of the price of a stone of flour.
PERCENTAGE change in the prices of certain commodities between mid-February, 1957 and mid-November, 1962
|
Commodity |
Percentage increase mid-February, 1957 to mid-November, 1962 |
|
% |
|
|
Clothing |
7.6 |
|
Whiskey |
30.7 |
|
Stout, bottled |
34.1 |
|
,,draught |
31.6 |
|
Beer and ale |
26.6 |
|
Cigarettes |
25.9 |
|
Tobacco |
24.7 |
|
Bus fares |
27.8 |
|
Rail fares |
23.5 |
|
Rent (including rates) of rented dwellings |
23.8 |
|
Postal charges |
8.0 |
|
Telephone,, |
0.4 |