asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state what the revised system of bread and flour rationing is designed to serve and whether there is any intention of reducing or abolishing any supplementary ration at present available to special categories of consumers, such as harvest workers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Bread and Flour Rationing.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state the reasons for the reinforcement of the flour and bread rationing system and further, whether any change in the present system of additional rations for persons engaged in heavy manual labour is contemplated.
I propose, with your permission, a Chinn Chomhairle, to take Questions Nos. 48 and 49 together.
The revised system of rationing for bread and flour requires the baker or shopkeeper to attach coupons to each order form sent by him, directly or indirectly, to the flour mill, so as to ensure that subsidised flour will be supplied only where it is intended for human consumption by the individuals for whom the ration is provided. This obligation to attach coupons to each order sent to the mill is designed to put an end to three principal abuses which have developed:
1. The feeding of subsidised bread to greyhounds.
2. Large urban mechanised bakers travelling up to 60 miles to supply consumers who are not registered with them, in order to wipe out local bakers and secure a monopoly position all over the area.
3. Confectioners manufacturing cakes, pastries, etc., from subsidised flour, while charging the consumer prices based on the assumption that unsubsidised flour was used, thus securing an illegitimate excess profit at the expense of the taxpayer, without any advantage to the consumer. There is no intention whatever of reducing or abolishing any supplementary ration at present available to any category of persons.
It is confidently anticipated that every registered consumer will continue to receive a full sufficiency of the best quality bread and flour at the subsidised price and in the event of any case being established at any time in the future of hardship being occasioned to any section of the community by inability to procure ample supplies of bread and flour to meet their normal requirements, there will be no hesitation whatever in having the matter fully investigated and, where necessary, suitable measures taken to resolve any difficulty that may transpire.