asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce when he expects the recommendations of the advisory body on bread prices to be available; and whether they have now finished consultations with all interested parties.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Recommendations on Bread Prices.
74.
I would refer the Deputy to my reply to a question in Dáil Éireann on 9th February, 1967. Consultations by the advisory body with all interested parties have now been completed.
Is the Minister in possession of the report?
I received it very late yesterday evening.
Can the Minister say if the report which he has in his hands contains a recommendation to increase the price of the loaf of bread?
I am not prepared to say what is in the report. The Deputy will understand that having received it late yesterday evening, I have not had an opportunity of considering it fully. I do not propose to talk about what is in it until I have had such an opportunity.
Would the Minister have this information in his possession: Does the report represent the united views of those who were involved in the investigation?
I am not prepared to say that either.
It seems there is some information in this report that he had better not have read.
I have a feeling the Deputy knows very well what he is trying to get me to say. He knows that information through a source which I think he ought to think about before he starts drawing public attention to the fact that he has this information.
That is a most unworthy suggestion by the Minister and he should withdraw it, the suggestion that somebody representing labour interests has disclosed information. That is not so, and the Minister should not make that allegation.
I have said nothing except that Deputy O'Leary has been saying he has information which is available to me only from having this report which is not available to anybody else in the House. I would think Deputy O'Leary would be well advised to wait until the report is published when he can make any comment he wishes on any aspect of it.
The Minister knows that anybody keeping an eye on the public press should be well aware that an increase in the price of bread is expected at any date. The Minister has not read the report which is now in his hands. I am in possession of no extra information.
The Deputy knows I am not referring to that.
That is all the information I have.
Allegations have been made by the Minister against Deputy O'Leary or against somebody representing Labour on that body, and no Minister should be entitled to do that in this House.
I would suggest that when the report is published, the information which will come to light from it can be read in conjunction with the question put here today by Deputy O'Leary, and then we can see whether there is any justification for what I have said or not.
Surely this is a commonplace query to raise, whether the report now in the Minister's hands represents the united views of those involved in the investigation? Surely that is a commonplace question and not one that should give rise to the kind of allegation the Minister has made?
The Minister should be aware that his statement here today may affect eventually the question whether or not the labour or trade union movement will take part in any future commissions he has anything to do with.
Indeed the raising of this question in the way in which it has been raised today will necessarily mean that we shall have to have another look at the situation which has arisen because I do not think it is good enough that we should have the kind of allegation that has been implied here. Deputy O'Leary may say it is common practice to ask the kind of question he asked, but I would ask him if he is aware of any previous report of a Prices Advisory Body in which such a situation could have arisen that would lead to the kind of question he has put.
I do not think it is at all extraordinary in any prices investigations in recent years to find a certain disagreement with the ultimate verdict. It was my impression from looking over the newspaper reports of the events leading up to the setting up of this body that there would be an increase in the price of bread.
The Deputy is making a speech. I am calling Question No. 75.