asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will make a statement on reports of a proposed further increase of 2p per gallon in the price of petrol in addition to the recent increase of 6p; whether he has received a formal application for this further increase; and the steps he proposes to take in the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Petrol Price.
20.
I have seen Press reports about a proposed further increase in the price of petrol in Britain. No application has been received by me for increases in the current price of petroleum products in this country.
On the assumption that this application will be made shortly, would the Parliamentary Secretary consider asking the petrol companies concerned to bear the cost of this 2p per gallon out of the vast profits which each of them make annually? Alternatively, would he consider asking the Minister for Finance to bear the 2p out of the 15p which was put on the price of petrol in December, 1974, for the purpose of ensuring that it would not be cheaper than in Britain and in Northern Ireland?
The situation in relation to indirect taxation is a matter for the Minister for Finance and has to be considered in the context of overall budgetary policy. It is not a matter on which I could comment on this occasion. In regard to the price of petrol products, the Deputy will be aware that a price must be available to the oil companies here which will make it sufficiently profitable for them to supply this market. Obviously, in practice, if we want to wave the big stick and say that we will not grant the increase, we must bear in mind the necessity of maintaining regularity of supplies. We must keep that very much in the forefront of our minds and balance it against other factors. I can assure the Deputy and the House that the National Prices Commission will scrutinise very carefully any application when it comes to us and further that, under existing arrangements the increase which will be applicable if those arrangements are maintained, will have been scrutinised in very great detail by the Prices Commission in Britain which have greater resources to engage in that sort of scrutiny than we have.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that the blackmail threat which the Parliamentary Secretary referred to of non-supply by the multi-national oil companies would not arise in regard to this country if we had an independently-owned and operated oil refinery here in Ireland?
We would have to get supplies for the oil refinery.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that it is very easy to secure supplies of crude oil in various parts of the world without reference to the multi-national oil companies by buying direct from the producing companies?
This is a matter which would have to be gone into in the case of the setting up of an oil refinery. Obviously, I am not in a position to comment in detail without notice on this possibility of setting up a refinery here but if the Deputy wishes to address a question on that matter——
There has already been a question addressed to the Minister, No. 17 on today's Order Paper, and supplementary questions were asked on that question by Deputy Lynch.
If the Deputy had questions to ask about an oil refinery, that was the time——
We are now dealing with Question No. 20.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary, therefore, prepared to continue to accept the situation that this country and its people are being and will continue to be held up to ransom by these oil companies?
The price control arrangements in regard to petroleum products are, in my opinion, satisfactory. There is careful scrutiny of every application by the National Prices Commission and there is also scrutiny of the same applications, as they apply to the outer zone of the United Kingdom by the British Prices Commission. I am satisfied that everything possible is being done to keep petroleum prices within limits.
What limits?