asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he is aware that a retail price maintenance organisation has instituted a system of inspection to ascertain whether any distributors are selling certain essential commodities below certain specified maximum prices with a view to having supplies withheld from such distributors, and that, as a result, reputable wholesalers and retailers are being deprived of goods, and that such deprivations are resulting in great hardships for consumers in the middle and lower income groups; and, if so, what action he proposes to take in the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Retail Price Maintenance.
I assume that the Deputy is referring to a recent report that a circular on this subject was issued by a certain trade organisation to its members and I am having this matter brought to the notice of the Fair Trade Commission for their early consideration.
I should like to remind the Minister that he gave me a similar assurance last July. Does he not agree now that this matter is one which should be treated as a matter of urgent importance in view of the fact that people in the lower income groups are being deprived of certain essential commodities?
I did not give the Deputy an assurance in precisely the terms mentioned. The Deputy raised a particular case on the last occasion which involved price maintenance and reluctance to supply certain commodities. I said at the time that I would cause it to be inquired into by the Fair Trade Commission and the commission is at present investigating the matter. If the Deputy is now raising a question of the action to be taken in this particular case, I can give the assurance that the commission will inquire into this particular case. The general question of prices and commodities is a very big and a very wide problem on which this House has not expressed an opinion. When the Restrictive Trade Practices Bill was going through the House, the House preferred to leave that for examination by the Fair Trade Commission which could examine all the ramifications of the matter. The Fair Trade Commission will deal with the general question of retail price maintenance and in the meantime may deal with the retail price maintenance in respect of particular commodities. As I have said, it is a big and a wide problem.