asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy the reasons for the recent increase of £2.82 per tonne, in the price of calcium ammonium nitrate (27½ per cent) by Nítrigin Éireann Teoranta; when this increase was publicly announced; and by whom.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Fertiliser Price Increase.
18.
The increase of £2.82 per tonne in the price of calcium ammonium nitrate (27½ per cent) was designed to compensate Nítrigin Éireann Teoranta for allowable net increases in raw material costs.
Details of the price increase were included in the Appendix to the January 1978 Report of the National Prices Commission which was published on 17 March 1978. As is the normal practice, no other public announcement of the increase was made by my Department. I understand that the trade was informed of the increase by NET.
Had the increase taken effect before it was announced in the NPC report?
I understand it had.
Would the Minister consider it desirable to alert the farming community to the fact that he had, prior to the publication of the report, sanctioned such an increase?
I beg the Deputy's pardon?
Would the Minister of State think it desirable that at the time he or his Minister sanctioned this increase they should have alerted the farming community to the granting of this increase?
Price increases by fertiliser manufacturers do not receive separate publicity, as the Deputy is no doubt aware. NET tell us that they gave no special publicity to this increase. They informed the trade of it on 30 December 1977.