asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will ensure that the recent reduction in the price of beef cattle is passed on in full to consumers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Beef Cattle Prices.
68.
The retail price of beef is kept under constant review by the National Prices Commission, who have been asked to report to me, with their recommendations for dealing with the situation, if they find evidence that downward trends in cattle prices are not reflected in the retail price of beef.
Every day on the radio I hear that the cost of beef is going down and this is disappointing to the Irish farmer. However, my wife tells me that the cost of a cut of steak has not been reduced. Can the Minister explain why the reduction in the cost of beef has not been reflected in the cost of steak in the shops?
Of course, there is an inevitable time-lag. There has been a significant drop in the price of cattle per cwt. When comparing the dates 8th or 9th of May with 19th or 20th of June, there is a drop in the retail price of sirloin, round steak and rib steak.
It is the Minister's civil servants who are saying that, not his wife.
I think that is an unfair accusation. The prices, as gathered by my civil servants, are reasonably reliable.
Will the Minister not agree that the time-lag does not seem to operate when things are going the other way? When the price of cattle is increased we do not have this time-lag—the price of meat goes up immediately.
Is it not the situation that the Government are sorry the price of cattle is going down, but they are glad the price of meat is going down?
That is the position of every public representative. We would like more for the farmers but we would like the housewives to have to pay less. It is difficult to achieve this.