asked the Taoiseach if he will state each item contained in the cost-of-living index together with the prices charged to consumers in each case on 2nd June, 1954, and as at the nearest date to mid-February, 1955.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cost-of-Living Index—Price Increases.
andJ. Lynch asked the Taoiseach if he will indicate the essential household commodities, food, etc., which have increased in price since 2nd June, 1954, and the amount of the increase in each case.
I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together and, in reply, to circulate in the Official Report a statement showing the national average retail prices at mid-May, 1954, and mid-November, 1954, of foodstuffs included in the consumer price index. The data for mid-February, 1955, are not yet available.
As regards the complete list of items included in the compilation of the consumer price index number I would refer the Deputy to pages 227-228 of the December, 1953, issue of the Irish Trade Journal and Statistical Bulletin or to my written reply to Deputy Ó Briain's question, yesterday.
In the case of items other than foodstuffs, the national average retail prices have little significance as they are based on the prices of articles (e.g. men's suits) of often widely varying quality—though, of course, the same qualities are priced at successive inquiries.
For this reason such prices are not quoted in the case of non-food items. For a comparison of the ratios of such prices at mid-May, 1954, and mid-November, 1954, to the corresponding prices at mid-August, 1953, I would refer the Deputy to the already-mentioned written reply to Deputy Ó Briain's question.
Following is the statement:—
NATIONAL Average Retail Prices of Foodstuffs included in the Consumer Price Index, mid-May and mid-November, 1954.
Article |
Per |
Average Price to nearest ¼d. |
|||
Mid-May, |
Mid-Nov., |
||||
1954 |
1954 |
||||
s. |
d. |
s. |
d. |
||
Beef: |
|||||
Round steak |
lb. |
3 |
0¼ |
3 |
0 |
Sirloin |
,, |
3 |
3¼ |
3 |
2¼ |
Rib |
,, |
2 |
8½ |
2 |
8¼ |
Shoulder |
,, |
2 |
4¾ |
2 |
3¾ |
Neck |
,, |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1½ |
Corned brisket |
,, |
1 |
11½ |
1 |
10½ |
Liver |
,, |
2 |
3 |
2 |
2¼ |
Mutton: |
|||||
Leg |
,, |
3 |
2¼ |
3 |
0½ |
Loin chops |
,, |
3 |
7½ |
3 |
7¼ |
Neck |
,, |
2 |
2¼ |
2 |
2 |
Shoulder |
,, |
2 |
8¼ |
2 |
7½ |
Fillet |
,, |
3 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
Bacon: |
|||||
Irish, streaky |
lb. |
3 |
11¾ |
3 |
7½ |
Irish, shoulder |
,, |
2 |
6 |
2 |
3¾ |
Pigs' heads |
,, |
1 |
1½ |
1 |
0½ |
Ham, uncooked |
,, |
3 |
11½ |
3 |
8¼ |
Ham, cooked |
,, |
6 |
2½ |
5 |
11½ |
Rashers, streaky |
,, |
4 |
0¾ |
3 |
9 |
Fresh pork, shoulder |
,, |
3 |
4¼ |
3 |
4 |
Pork sausages |
,, |
2 |
7¾ |
2 |
5½ |
Fish—Whiting |
,, |
1 |
9¼ |
1 |
8¼ |
Cod steak |
,, |
2 |
7¼ |
2 |
8 |
Eggs, 1st Grade, Hen* |
doz. |
2 |
6¾ |
6 |
3½ |
Butter: |
|||||
Irish Creamery |
lb. |
4 |
2 |
3 |
9 |
,,Farmers' |
,, |
3 |
7½ |
3 |
4½ |
Margarine |
,, |
1 |
7 |
1 |
7 |
Cheese |
,, |
2 |
9¾ |
2 |
10 |
Lard |
,, |
1 |
7½ |
1 |
7¼ |
Fresh milk* |
quart |
0 |
9¾ |
0 |
11¼ |
Bread |
2 lb. loaf |
0 |
9 |
0 |
9 |
Flour—household |
14 lbs. |
4 |
2½ |
4 |
2¼ |
Oatmeal |
,, |
8 |
5¾ |
8 |
6¾ |
Potatoes* |
,, |
2 |
1 |
2 |
5½ |
Cabbage |
head |
0 |
4¾ |
0 |
7 |
Onions |
lb. |
0 |
6¾ |
0 |
9 |
Oranges |
,, |
0 |
11½ |
1 |
0 |
Tomatoes |
,, |
1 |
5½ |
1 |
9¾ |
Tea—best |
,, |
5 |
11¾ |
6 |
2¼ |
—As used by wage-earning classes |
,, |
4 |
10 |
4 |
11½ |
Sugar |
,, |
0 |
7 |
0 |
7 |
Jam—Strawberry |
,, |
1 |
9 |
1 |
9 |
Mixed Fruit |
,, |
1 |
2¼ |
1 |
2¼ |
Marmalade |
,, |
1 |
6¼ |
1 |
6¼ |
Boiling Fowl |
,, |
2 |
3 |
2 |
5 |
Kippered herring |
doz. |
4 |
4¼ |
4 |
4¼ |
Fresh herring |
lb. |
0 |
9¾ |
0 |
9½ |
Tinned Salmon |
½ lb. |
2 |
10¼ |
2 |
10 |
Condensed milk, Irish, full cream |
1 lb. tin |
1 |
3¼ |
1 |
3¼ |
Cake |
lb. |
2 |
5¼ |
2 |
4¾ |
Rice |
,, |
1 |
2¾ |
1 |
1¾ |
Semolina |
,, |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Carrots |
,, |
0 |
5½ |
0 |
7¼ |
Dried peas |
,, |
1 |
3¾ |
1 |
4 |
Cooking apples |
,, |
0 |
9 |
0 |
7¼ |
Sultanas |
,, |
1 |
2¼ |
1 |
2¼ |
Tinned pears |
1 lb. tin |
2 |
4¾ |
2 |
4¾ |
Tinned beans in tomato sauce |
,, |
1 |
2¾ |
1 |
2¼ |
Coffee |
lb. |
6 |
0½ |
6 |
5 |
Cocoa |
¼ lb. pkt. |
0 |
10 |
0 |
11¾ |
Cornflour |
½ lb. pkt. |
0 |
10¾ |
0 |
10½ |
Custard powder |
,, |
0 |
10¼ |
0 |
10 |
Salt (table) |
pkt. |
0 |
7 |
0 |
7 |
Mustard |
tin |
0 |
10¾ |
0 |
10¾ |
Sauce |
bottle |
1 |
2¾ |
1 |
2½ |
Boiled sweets |
lb. |
2 |
5¾ |
2 |
5¾ |
Bar of chocolate |
each |
0 |
11¾ |
1 |
0 |
Biscuits |
lb. |
2 |
2½ |
2 |
2½ |
Jellies |
pkt. |
0 |
9 |
0 |
9 |
Soft drinks |
bottle |
0 |
6½ |
0 |
6¾ |
Breakfast cereals |
pkt. |
1 |
2½ |
1 |
2¼ |
*Not corrected for seasonality.
Am I to take it that the Parliamentary Secretary has no figure for a date nearer to mid-February than last November?
That is so. I would also remark that the Central Statistics Office is some two or three days in arrears as a result of the series of questions on this subject.
I understand—anything to hold the figures back.