asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the increase in the price of phosphate fertilisers since 14th March, 1973.
25.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Fertiliser Prices.
24.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the increase in the price of nitrate fertilisers since 14th March, 1973.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 24 and 25 together.
The increases in the prices of home manufactured fertilisers in the period 14th March, 1973, to 3rd January, 1974, are available from the published monthly reports of the National Prices Commission which are in the Oireachtas Library and which are also circulated to each Deputy. In addition to the price increases published to date in the commission's reports, Nitrigin Éireann Teo. increased their prices by amounts ranging from 26.6 per cent to 33.3 per cent with effect from 25th January, 1974, Goulding Chemicals Limited increased their prices on 1st February, 1974, by 35.3 per cent on average while Albatros Fertilisers implemented an average increase of 36.2 per cent on 4th February, 1974. These increases are in accordance with the recommendation of the National Prices Commission as set out at paragraph 93 of their monthly report for November, 1973.
Did I understand the Minister to say that certain increases took place up to 3rd January of this year and thereafter there were increases on those increased prices of 35.5 per cent, and so on, or is the Minister now talking about the total increases from 14th March last year to the latest available date? Is he combining the two?
These are in addition to the ones published up to that date.
Can the Minister give me any idea of the total percentage increase? The percentages the Minister has given us refer only to the period from 3rd January last. Before that there was a substantial increase also. What is the combined increase? That is the answer sought in the question.
I may not have all the details the Deputy wants. In April, 1973, there was an increase of 3 per cent for all three firms. In May, 1973, there was an increase in the price of fertilisers containing potassium of 10p for each 1 per cent of potassium content. In July, 1973, there was an increase of 10 per cent for all three firms for concentrates and 6 per cent for the nitrogenous fertiliser manufactured by NET. It is a matter for the Deputy to put those together because each of those was an increase on the preexisting price.
It would be very difficult for an individual Deputy to make a synthesis of this kind without the facilities of the Department of Industry and Commerce at his back. The question I put down to the Minister sought that information, the synthesised information of all the increases together. The Minister is now trying to minimise the increases by treating the increases from 3rd January last.
The Deputy is now entering into argument. He will have to resolve the matter some other way.
Will the Minister state that, in actual fact, the increase amounts to about 90 per cent on last year's price?
The Deputy will be aware that there are a number of categories, a number of qualities, a number of levels of concentration, and that no single figure, unless you break it up into a whole table, conveys the actual increase.
Per unit of phosphate.
There are three elements in it.
We shall have to pass on from this question.
Could we have that information supplied by the Minister? It is important. It will do in writing.
I will undertake to get a table because it needs a table. There is a lot of information. I will have it sent to Deputies.