asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether the Prices Advisory Body provided any opportunity to the Wholesale Bottlers' Association, or any other interested party, to make representations to them in connection with their inquiry into the prices charged in Ireland for mineral water and beer bottles, before approving the present scale of prices.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Prices of Bottles.
The Prices Advisory Body did not invite any association of bottlers, or other users of bottles, to make representations to them in connection with this matter.
Does the Minister feel that a procedure which involves only discussing a matter of this kind with a monopolist and with none of the users of the commodity constitutes an adequate inquiry into the prices charged for the commodity in question?
There are obvious difficulties in discussing with the customers of a concern a proposal to increase the prices of its products and I presume the Prices Advisory Body took that difficulty into account when they carried out the procedure in this case.
Will the Minister not avail of this occasion to express a view that where the Prices Advisory Body are reviewing a proposal to increase the price of a commodity obtainable from no other source in this country he is of the opinion that they ought at least to hear the views of organised users of the commodity even though they may feel themselves bound to conduct a particular restricted discussion for such purpose—that they ought at least to hear them?
I could not say that the Prices Advisory Body did not hear the views of the users of bottles. They did not interview them before making the recommendation.
Is the Minister aware that, in fact, before any of the four recommendations—for the price of bottles has been increased no less than four times in the last 12 months— the Prices Advisory Body did not hear representations from the users?
The prices were not increased four times in 12 months.
How many times?
Once.
If it is not four times it is three. In no case, however, was the opinion of any category of users of bottles sought or heard before the recommendation was made and I suggest that it would be useful if the Minister would say that that procedure certainly does not meet the requirements.