andMr. Beirne asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if in view of the recent steep increase in the prices of bread and flour he will restore the subsidy which was removed from them in the Budget of 1957.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Flour and Bread Subsidy.
38.
I understand that in general the increases do no more than bring prices back to the level at which they stood twelve months ago. It is not the intention to re-introduce the subsidy on bread and flour.
Have the Government any steps in mind to counterbalance the increase in the prices of bread and flour in the country lately, other than subsidy?
The Deputy's Question asks if the subsidy will be restored.
The increase is not a steep increase.
Seven shillings a bag.
The increase in the price of bread per 2-lb. loaf was one farthing and not a halfpenny as is suggested. There has not been an increase in the price of the 1-lb. unit.
The increase in the price of flour is twopence per stone representing 3/4d. per sack. Having regard to the fact that over a period from 17th November, 1958, to the 25th May, 1959, there was a total reduction of 10/9d. per sack on flour, the increase in the price of flour does not even bring it back to the price that obtained 12 months ago.
Does the Minister consider it right and proper that it should be brought back to the former high price?
It is 7/- a sack.
As a result of inquiries made through my inspectors I have ascertained that the increase in the shops for flour is twopence per stone. If there has been an increase of 7/- a sack it has not been passed on to the consumer.
It is the consumers who informed me that the price was 7/-.
Is the Minister aware that while he may have been informed that the increase was a farthing, in actual fact customers have been charged a halfpenny?
I have before me a list of no fewer than 16 retail shops visited in Dublin yesterday. In each case increases have taken place over a range of bread, from batch loaves to sliced pans, whose price goes from 1/1¼d. to 1/2¾d. and in no case has the increase been more than a farthing. That has been a selection of 16 typical shops, some of them retail shops belonging to master bakers, others retail shops who purchase their bread and who have no bakeries of their own.
Some of them put it up a halfpenny.
The increases in this case are genuine and the duplicity that was resorted to previously of reducing the size of a loaf has not been resorted to on this occasion.
Maybe the Minister would get the millers to reduce the price of bread rather than spend large amounts of money advertising it. Cheaper bread would be the best advertisement.