asked the Taoiseach if he will state for the years ended 31st March, 1956 and 31st March, 1967, the cost of living index figure.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cost of Living Index.
5.
The Consumer Price Index (base August, 1947=100) averaged 129.5 in the year ended 31st March, 1956 and 187.0 in the year ended 31st March, 1967.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary give us any explanation as to why this figure has increased by 60 points, despite the fact that the Taoiseach at that time told us that the Government would maintain subsidies and would not increase the cost of living? That statement was made by Mr. de Valera and Deputy Seán Lemass on the same day.
The Deputy, of course, has not studied the facts. If he studies the change in the cost of living in the OECD countries, he will find we come within a number of countries where the cost of living has increased as much, including Great Britain, our neighbour. There were a few countries in which it did not increase so much. There has been a prevailing pattern. The Government have constantly warned the public to try to continue the situation whereby productivity equalled the growth of incomes. The Government have constantly given warning about the effect of inflation on the country's development. Our general position is not unsatisfactory compared with the countries with which we trade.
Does the Minister not agree that we in Ireland should be concerned with what happens in our own country and not what happens abroad? Does the Minister believe that the Prime Minister or President of any of the other countries made similar promises in 1957 to get into government and then deliberately deceived the people the moment they got in? Our Government deliberately stated——
Will the Deputy please allow questions to continue?
The President and the Taoiseach said on the one day that they would maintain subsidies.
Please let us have some order in the Chamber.