asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will give details of all orders which he has made since 1st June, 1969, granting increases in the cost of household commodities, food, etc, which have a bearing on an increase in the cost of living; why he has permitted such increases; the amount of the increases in respect of each item for which approval was given; and what increase has taken place in the cost of living since the 1st June, 1969.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Price Increases.
258.
The only commodity over which I exercise price control by statutory order is bottled milk in the Dublin sale district. I have not made any order since 1st June, 1969, permitting price increases on milk in Dublin.
Since 1st June, 1969, in cases in which manufactures or importers approached me I have agreed to certain increase in their prices in relation to different commodities. As particulars of these increases are in the form of a tabular statement I propose, with your permission, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, to circulate the statement in the Official Report.
These price increases were necessary to compensate firms for unavoidable increases in costs.
The consumer price index rose from 105.1 in mid-May, 1969, to 106.8 in mid-August, 1969.
Following is the statement:
STATEMENT showing increases in prices and charges of which the Minister for Industry and Commerce has been notified and to which he raised no objection in the period 1st June, 1969 to 15th October, 1969.
|
Firm |
Commodity |
Rate of Increase |
|
Tintawn Carpeting Ltd., Droichead Nua. |
Traditional, Cord, Boucle and Trend carpets. |
A net average of 20d. sq. yard. |
|
John Whittaker (Hollowware Ltd., Dublin |
Aluminium Hollowware |
5% |
|
Dundalk Coal Importers' |
Coal |
6/- ton |
|
Association. |
Turf |
5/6d. ton |
|
P. O'Reilly Ltd., Killaloe |
Paper boxes |
10% |
|
The Benson Box Co., (Ireland) Ltd., Killaloe. |
Paper boxes |
10% |
|
I.V.I. Foundry Ltd., Athy |
Rain water goods |
8% |
|
General castings and jobbing work. |
6% |
|
|
Alliance and Dublin Consumers' Gas Co. |
Gas |
2.8d. therm to quarterly and prepayment consumers from and including 2/6/69. |
|
United Distillers of Ireland Ltd. |
Whiskey, gin, etc. 8 lines |
Mainly equivalent to 2d. per glass at retail level. |
|
Jameson Crested Ten |
4d. per glass retail. |
|
|
Pasteurised Milk Bottlers' |
Pasteurised Bottled Milk |
1d. pint (retail) for 4 months in any period of 12 months (in the case of 4 members of the Association the increase is 1d. pint for 3 months in any period of 12 months). |
|
Glen Abbey Ltd. |
Certain Foundation Garments (7 lines). |
About 20% average. |
|
Golden Vale Food Products Ltd. |
Cheese products for sale on the home market. |
3% |
|
Mitchelstown Creameries |
Cheese products for sale on the home market. |
3% |
|
Roadstone Ltd. |
Stone |
1/- ton |
|
Madacam |
3/- ton |
|
|
Sand and Gravel |
1/- ton |
|
|
Readymix Concrete |
4/- cubic yard |
|
|
Mortar & Dashing |
2/- ton |
|
|
Clondalkin Concrete Ltd. |
Concrete products |
6% |
|
Newbridge Cutlery Co. Ltd. |
Cutlery |
2½% |
|
Henry O'Shea & Sons Ltd. |
Flour Confectionery (32 lines). |
1d. to 1/4d. item (retail) |
|
Art Leather Ltd. |
Leather goods |
6% |
|
Tonge & Taggart Ltd. |
Cast Iron Products |
13% |
|
Irish Wire Products Ltd. |
Round Wire Nails |
£5 10s. 0d. ton |
|
Floor Brads |
£3 10s. 0d. ton |
|
|
Irish Bakery & Confectionery |
Loaves generally |
1d. each. |
|
Trades Association |
2 lb. Batch Loaf |
1½d. each. |
|
Cape Asbestos (Ireland) Ltd. |
Brake & Clutch Linings |
3% |
|
Jefferson Smurfit & Sons Ltd. |
Corrugated Paper Containers |
5% |
|
J. & L.F. Goodbody Ltd. |
Carpet Yarns |
0.75d. lb. |
|
Other Yarns |
0.75d. lb. |
|
|
Miscellaneous Cloths |
1.25d. lb. |
|
|
Miscellaneous Bags |
1.25d. lb. |
|
|
United Breweries of Ireland Ltd. |
Draught Carling Black Label Lager. |
£3 10s. 9d. bulk barrel. |
|
Ultan Brass Works |
Brass castings |
1/3d. lb. |
|
Dublin Coal Importers |
Dutch Anthracite |
£1 15s. 0d. ton |
|
James Reidy & Co. Ltd., Limerick. |
German coal |
£1 ton. |
|
The Irish Aluminium Co. Ltd. |
Aluminium Hollowware |
10% |
|
Vita Cortex Ltd. |
Polyether Sheeting and cushions. |
3% |
|
J.J. Stafford & Sons (Wexford) Ltd. |
Polish coal |
5/- ton |
|
Bolands Ltd. |
Cakes and Tarts (5 lines) |
½d. each |
|
Crumpets |
3d. pkt. of 6. |
|
|
C.B. Paper Sacks Ltd. |
Paper Sacks |
£2 15s. 6d. ton. |
|
Carrigaline Pottery Co. Ltd. |
Earthenware |
5% |
|
Southern Area Coal Importers' |
German Coal |
£1 ton |
|
Assoc. |
Dutch Anthracite |
£2 ton |
|
Fuels (other than British coal, German coal and Dutch Anthracite). |
9/- ton |
|
|
Battery Makers of Ireland Ltd. |
Starter batteries |
3% |
|
Traction batteries |
10% |
|
|
Johnson & Johnson (Ireland) Ltd. |
Toilet requisites (46 lines) |
11% average. |
|
Hely Robinson Ltd. |
Waxed Paper Wrappers |
1 3/16d. lb. |
|
Shanks (Ireland) Ltd. |
Cistern Fittings |
7½% |
|
Sanitary ware products (except stainless steel sinks). |
10% |
|
|
Dublin Master Stevedores' Assoc. |
Tariff Rates |
6% |
|
Apex Manufacturing Co. (1935) |
Weaving Department |
1½% |
|
Ltd. |
Making Shirts |
4% |
|
Department Sheets |
12% |
|
|
Dungarees |
5% |
|
|
John F. Renshaw & Co. (Ireland) Ltd. |
Almonds and Marzipans |
6% |
|
The Manchester Chemical Co. (Ireland) Ltd. |
||
|
Excel Tiles Ltd. |
Tiles and Accessories |
12½% |
|
Lamb Bros. (Dublin) Ltd. |
Processed Cherries |
4d. lb. |
|
Irish Wire Products Ltd. |
Wire Nails |
£5 5s. 10d. ton |
|
Steel Screws |
1d. gross |
|
|
Brass Screws |
1/7d. gross |
|
|
Urney Chocolates Ltd. |
Boxed Chocolates (7 lines) |
Increases per box at rates varying from 4d. to 1/- lb. |
|
Rowntree-Mackintosh (Ireland) Ltd. |
Sweets and Chocolates (20 lines). |
3d. to 6d. lb. (approx.) |
|
Whip Cream Walnuts |
10d. lb. |
|
|
Dundalk Coal Importers' Assoc. |
Dutch Anthracite |
£1 15s. 0d. ton |
|
German Coal |
£1 1s. 0d. ton |
|
|
Drogheda & District Coal |
German Coal |
£1 7s. 0d. ton |
|
Merchants' Assoc. |
All other coals and anthracites. |
6/- ton. |
|
Irish Raleigh Industries Ltd. |
Bicycles |
5% average |
|
Sunbeam Ltd. |
Ladies', Men's and Children's underwear. |
2% to 18% |
|
Southern Chemicals Ltd. and Clogrennane Lime and Trading Co. Ltd. |
All Products |
9½% average |
|
Cork Milk Producers' Co-op Society Ltd. |
Milk sold by retail in Cork |
1d. pint during the months Sept., Oct., & Nov. 1969. |
|
Ballinahina Dairies Ltd. |
||
|
Irish Steel Holdings Ltd. |
Galvanised Sheet |
£10 ton |
|
Swastika Laundry Ltd., Dublin. |
Laundry Charges |
10% |
|
Superior Packaging Products Ltd. |
Waxed breadwrap and sweetwrap. |
1 3/16d. lb. |
|
J. A. Lumley & Son, Tullamore |
Processed Cherries |
4d. lb. |
|
Beef Canners' Advisory Association. |
Canned products containing beef. |
4d. lb. |
|
Irish Ropes Ltd. |
Heavy Sisal Twines |
1d. lb. |
|
Fine Sisal Twines |
1d. lb. |
|
|
Flemings Fireclays Ltd. |
Vitrified clay sewerage goods |
6% |
|
Mitchelstown Creameries |
Cheese products for sale on the home market. |
1% i.e. in addition to 3% increase shown earlier. |
|
Golden Vale Food Products Ltd. |
do. |
do. |
|
Reckitts (Ireland) Ltd. |
Dettol |
2.6% to 5.1% |
|
Steradent |
5% |
|
|
Irish Bacon Curers' Society Ltd. |
Sausages |
1d. lb. |
|
Dublin Master Victuallers' Association. |
Sausages |
1d. lb. |
|
Asbestos Cement Ltd. |
Asbestos Cement Products |
6.6% |
|
Killeen Paper Mills Ltd. |
Bag Factory Products |
6% |
|
Corrugated Department Products. |
8% |
|
|
Ashtown Tinbox (Ireland) Ltd. |
Tin containers, etc. |
6½% |
|
T. P. Walshe & Son |
Leather goods |
10% |
|
John A. Wood Ltd. |
Sand and Gravel |
1/- ton |
|
Bituminous Macadam |
3/- ton |
|
|
Ready-mix concrete |
4/- cubic yard |
|
|
Concrete Blocks |
6% |
|
|
Precast Concrete |
||
|
Products |
||
|
Precast Concrete |
||
|
Pipes |
||
|
Arklow Pottery Ltd. |
Earthenware |
5% |
|
Tosara Products Ltd., Dublin |
Sudocrem |
3d. medium size jar. |
|
McElroy Bros. Ltd., Castleblayney |
Rest-Stack Chairs |
3/- chair |
|
A. Braithwaite & Co., (Ireland) Ltd. |
Washed Sand and Gravel |
1/- ton. |
|
Industrial Gases (I.F.S.) Ltd.,Dublin. |
Industrial Compressed Oxygen. |
3/6d. to 25/6d. |
1,000 cubic ft depending on quantity |
|
Commercial Compressed Nitrogen. |
7/- to 25/6d. |
||
|
Dissolved Acetylene |
10/- to 25/-. |
||
|
Industrial Compressed Air. |
15/- |
|
White Swan, Dublin |
Domestic Laundry Charges |
10% overall |
|
Thomas S. Jackson & Sons (Ireland) Ltd. |
Linseed Oil Putty |
7% |
|
Sheet Metal Industries Ltd. |
All products |
10% |
|
Wexford Gas Consumers Co. Ltd. |
Gas |
2.5d. therm |
|
Waterford Coal Merchants' Assoc. |
Polish coal |
£1 ton |
|
Celtic Laundry Ltd., Wexford |
Domestic Laundry |
10% overall |
|
White Star Laundry, Carlow |
||
|
P. J. Carroll & Co. Ltd. |
Cigarettes, Tobaccos, Snuffs. |
Equivalent to 1d. on pkts. of 20 (retail) for cigarettes and pro rata for tobaccos and snuffs. |
|
Player and Wills (Ireland) Ltd. |
||
|
Gallaher (Dublin) Ltd. |
Cigarettes, Tobaccos |
|
|
Wm. Ellis & Sons Ltd., Cork |
Loose Materials, including Filling and Ground Limestone. |
1/- ton. |
|
Readymix Cement |
4/- cu. yd. |
|
|
Mortar and Macadam |
3/- ton. |
|
|
Lime Flour |
3/- ton |
|
|
Concrete Products |
6% |
|
|
Contracts |
12½% |
|
|
Precast Concrete |
6% |
|
|
Beecham of Ireland Ltd. |
All products |
2½% |
|
G.W.I. Ltd., Collooney |
Joinery Products |
10% |
259.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce what plans he has to prevent the serious continued increase in the cost of living; and when it may be expected that they will be put into effect, in view of the hardships experienced by all sections of the community particularly those on fixed incomes, pensioners and others who are finding it difficult to obtain the necessities of life because of spiralling costs.
I exercise price control over manufacturers and distributors in respect of a wide range of commodities which affect the cost of living. I am satisfied that price increases to which I have raised no objection were necessary to compensate manufacturers for unavoidable increases in costs. It is unrealistic to expect that, if costs continue to rise, prices should always remain at the same level.
260.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce why it was necessary to increase the price of tobacco and cigarettes recently.
261.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce when permission was sought from his Department for the recent increase in cigarette prices; if the matter was considered by the Prices Advisory Body; and if he will make a statement in the matter.
262.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he approved of the recent increase in prices of cigarettes and tobacco; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
With your permission, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 260, 261 and 262 together.
I raised no objection to the recent increases in the prices of tobacco and cigarettes which were necessary to compensate in part the manufacturers concerned for increases in the costs of raw materials, wages and overheads.
My agreement to the increases in prices was first sought in July last. I did not consider it necessary to set up an advisory body under the Prices Acts to examine the need for the price increases.