asked the Taoiseach if he will tabulate the current retail prices of beer, spirits, tobacco and petrol in the Dublin area; and the estimated excise duty content as a percentage of price.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Prices of Liquor, Tobacco and Petrol.
5.
The information on retail prices available in the Central Statistics Office is that collected at quarterly inquiries made in connection with the calculation of the Consumer Price Index numbers. The latest inquiry related to Tuesday, 13th May, 1969.
Top quality petrol cost 6s 5½d in the Dublin and Dún Laoghaire area on 13th May and the excise duty payable amounted to 64 per cent of this price.
In the case of the other items specified in the question it is estimated that on 13th May, 1969, the excise duty content expressed as a percentage of the price was about 46 per cent for a pint of draught stout and 50 per cent for a glass of whiskey, while the customs duty content expressed as a percentage of the price was 76 per cent for 20 plain cigarettes and 70 per cent for one oz. of plug tobacco. For these items meaningful average prices are not available since the commodity priced is not identical in quality for each reporter, the main object being to measure price changes between two periods rather than absolute prices.