asked the Minister for Finance the total revenue to the Exchequer in the last financial year from spirits, beers, stout and wines; and if he anticipates a fall in revenue from those sources at the conclusion of the current financial year.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Liquor Statistics.
12.
The net receipts from the customs and excise duties on spirits, beers (including stout) and wines in the financial year ended 31 December, 1975, amounted to £118.5 million.
Separate figures of receipts from value-added tax in respect of these items are not available.
The answer to the second part of the question is "No".
Will the amount accruing from value-added tax become available?
Apparently not. It is not kept separately. A number of other products go into the same group.
Like what?
I am afraid I cannot give the information the Deputy is seeking.
I asked the question because of that very fact and now the Minister does not appear to have the information available to him. I am sure the Minister will agree that I am entitled to put down another question to try to elicit that information. I do not want to take the Minister short.
Thank you.
The Minister said it was not anticipated that there would be a short-fall in revenue from these sources in the current financial year. Is this based on revenue since the current budget was introduced, or is it based on a hopeful expectation?
I am sure there is evidence to back the solid statement that the answer is "No".
Has the Minister evidence to back up that solid statement?
No.
If there is no evidence available to the Minister to back that solid statement——
I am sure there is.
Has the Minister got it there?
No.
Then it is really a question of hope, prayer and expectation.
Nothing of the sort.
Is the Minister aware that a number of public houses in the city and county of Dublin are on short time and that, in a number of instances, staff have been let go? The pint of stout, the working man's drink, so-called, has been put out of the reach of many people in a most unfair fashion. What action, if any, does the Minister or the Minister for Finance intend to take to examine the possibility of reducing the price of a pint of beer and a pint of stout?
The Deputy is embarking on a speech.
The Minister should remember that publicans are also entitled——
That is not the question.
It is well to remember that publicans are also entitled to a decent living. They have wives and children. There seems to be some antipathy towards publicans generally.
I will have to ask the Deputy to desist.
Does the Minister agree that publicans are entitled to a decent living?
The Minister for Finance says he does not anticipate any drop in revenue and he feels no measures are called for in the circumstances.
His guesses have all been wrong.
He is engaging in half measures. It is time he gave some hope to these people.
13.
asked the Minister for Finance the price of a pint of two brands of stout (names supplied) in the years 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1976; and the amount of revenue to the Exchequer from each commodity in the same years.
15.
asked the Minister for Finance the prices per pint and half-pint of the various brands of Irish and imported beer in the years 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1976; and the amount of revenue to the Exchequer from each commodity in each case in the same years.
16.
asked the Minister for Finance the price per bottle of the various brands of bottled stout and beer of Irish manufacture and foreign origin in the years 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1976; and the amount of revenue to the Exchequer from each commodity in each case in the same years.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take together Questions Nos. 13, 15 and 16 relating to prices of, and revenue from, stout and beer.
The information requested by the Deputy is in the form of a tabular statement which, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to circulate with the Official Report.
Following is the statement:
Normal Public Bar Prices—Dublin area
I. Price of draught stout
|
Brand A |
Brand B |
|
|
1973 |
19p |
19p |
|
1974 |
22p |
22p |
|
1975 |
27p |
27p |
|
1976 |
38p |
36p |
II. Price of draught beers
|
Ale |
Lager |
|||
|
Pint |
½Pint |
Pint |
½Pint |
|
|
1973 |
19p |
10p |
25p |
13p |
|
1974 |
22p |
12p |
28p |
15p |
|
1975 |
27p |
15p |
33p |
17p |
|
1976 |
39p |
21p |
44p |
23p |
III. Price of bottled stout, ale, lager—½ pint bottles:
|
Stout |
Ale |
Lager |
|
|
1973 |
12p |
14p |
16p |
|
1974 |
14p |
17p |
19p |
|
1975 |
17p |
19p |
21p |
|
1976 |
22p |
24p |
26p |
The net receipts from the customs and excise duties on Irish beer and imported beer for the periods referred to are as follows:—
|
Calendar Year |
Irish beer |
Imported beer |
|
£m. |
£m. |
|
|
1973 |
45.9 |
0.4 |
|
1974 |
49.6 |
0.4 |
|
1975 |
65.8 |
0.3 |
|
1976 (Provisional) |
16.9 |
.09 |
|
(Jan-March) |
The figures include receipts from stouts and beers of the various brands whether sold in pints or half pints, bottled or draught. Separate figures for these commodities are not available.
The figures given do not include the receipts from value-added tax on beer since these are not available separately.
Would the Chair create a precedent and refuse permission to the Minister to circulate this information in a tabular statement?
That is not usual.
It is impossible to ask possibly important supplementary questions which might arise on a tabular statement. Would the Minister tell us the percentage increase in the price of stout and the price of beer from 1973 to date? Surely the Minister has the figures in the tabular statement and he can work them out.
There is an enormous number of figures in the statement, a whole page of figures.
I will help the Minister.
If the Minister had wanted that sort of help, he would have answered the questions individually.
The Minister should give the information to the House instead of hiding behind a tabular statement.
It is usual to await the information contained in a tabular statement.
Can the Minister tells us the price of a pint of stout and a pint of beer in 1973 and comparable prices in 1976 for both commodities? I will work out the percentage increases.
The price of draught stout brand A in 1973 was 19p a pint and of brand B 19p.
What is the difference between brand A and brand B?
Do not ask me. In 1976 the figures are 38p and 36p.
Appalling.
Question No. 14.
14.
asked the Minister for Finance the price of a glass and a half-glass of Irish whiskey and of imported brands in the years 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1976; and the amount of revenue to the Exchequer from each commodity in each case in the same years.
The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following tabular statement which with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to circulate with the Official Report.
Price of whiskey (normal public bar prices in Dublin area)
|
Irish |
Imported |
|||
|
Whiskey |
Whisky |
|||
|
Glass |
½ Glass |
Glass |
½ Glass |
|
|
1973 |
41p |
20½p |
45p |
22½p |
|
1974 |
46p |
23p |
50p |
25p |
|
1975 |
56p |
28p |
60p |
30p |
|
1976 |
68p |
34p |
72p |
36p |
The net receipts from the customs and excise duties on Irish spirits, imported spirits and imported whiskies for the periods referred to are as follows:—
|
Calendar Year |
Irish spirits (including Irish whiskey) |
Imported spirits (including Imported whisky) |
Imported whisky |
|
£ million |
£ million |
£ million |
|
|
1973 |
23.9 |
12.6 |
5.9 |
|
1978 |
26.5 |
16.9 |
8.6 |
|
1979 |
28.0 |
20.7 |
11.3 |
|
1976 |
|||
|
(Provisional) |
|||
|
(January-March) |
11.0 |
4.1 |
2.3 |
It would not be proper to furnish the Deputy with the net receipts from the customs and excise duties on Irish whiskey as this would disclose information which could be prejudicial to the interests of an individual company.
Separate figures of receipts from value-added tax in respect of spirits are not available.