asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he will examine the retail prices of all essential and non-essential goods in relation to the costs of materials, production and distribution with a view to fixing ceiling prices suitable to wage earners.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Fixing Retail Prices.
The prices of essential goods are subject to control and maximum prices are fixed at the lowest levels that can be justified, having regard to raw material costs and production and distribution charges.
The application of an official system of price control to all non-essential goods would not yield results which would warrant the large increase in administrative expense involved. The remedy against excessive prices for these non-essential goods lies in the hands of the public who, by a refusal to buy, can exercise the most effective of all forms of price control.