asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the number of items for which he has approved price increases since 14 March, 1973.
14.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Price Increases.
13.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the number of price increases sanctioned by him on (a) food and drink items and price increases since 14th March, 1973.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 14 together.
The number of price increases recommended to me, including the number of (a) food and drink items and (b) non-food items, is available from the published monthly reports of the National Prices Commission which are in the Oireachtas Library and which are also circulated to each Deputy. On the days on which the monthly reports of the commission for March, April, May, June, July and August/September, 1973 were published, I indicated in a Press statement that, with the exception of increases in CIE rates and fares, I had accepted the commission's recommendations for price increases for the firms concerned and that I would raise no objection to the implementation of those increases.
Does the Minister agree that the numerous increases granted by the Minister for Industry and Commerce and the thousands of increases sanctioned in the budget on items such as medical appliances, wheelchairs, shoes and clothes, together with the ever-increasing spiral of foodstuff prices are indications of the complete failure of the Government in relation to the promises they made in the election campaign? Can we now have a statement from the Minister that something will be done to bring about some relief for housewives who are now——
This is a very long question.
This is a very important matter.
The Deputy must not make a speech on the matter. This is Question Time.
Further arising out of the Minister's reply, is he aware that the housewives of this city now regard the Government——
The Deputy is engaging in argument.
What Deputy Dowling has said is a long string of inaccuracies. I remind him that the Government in the budget to which he referred removed the value-added tax which the Fianna Fáil Government had put on food and also removed tax from medicines. I do not know if the Deputy is busy in other regards but if he cares to go out and question the housewives of this city he will find that increased children's allowances, increased widows' pensions and other increased benefits are of great benefit to the people of this city and of the country as a whole. They will see the results of this in the Monaghan by-election at the end of this month.
(Interruptions.)
In view of the increases that have taken place in various items, would the Minister ask his colleague, the Minister for Finance, how he reconciles these with his statement that inflation has been kept down since the Coalition Government took office?
The Deputy will get his answer tomorrow and he will not like it. His colleagues will like it less.
When we came into office we found galloping inflation in this country. We reduced that to a trot in the summer; it is now down to a walk and we hope to reverse it in the near future.
(Interruptions.)
Could the Minister state whether, in fact, the reduction in the size of the loaf which took place, any account was taken into consideration in the Minister's statement and assessment of price increases as outlined in the Minister's question?
I do not understand the question. Would the Deputy mind repeating it?
In the reduction in the size of the loaf and the increase that took place as a result of the reduction?
A reduction and an increase in the price of the loaf?
A reduction in the loaf and an increase in the price. The Minister would not understand it. It is not a joke with the people who have to buy the reduced loaf.
Perhaps we could have a separate question on that matter.
Quite genuinely, I do not understand the point being made by the Deputy.
(Interruptions.)
What I want to know is, in the price increases as indicated in the Minister's reply that he is going to circulate in the Official Report, was the question of the increase in the price of bread, which took place as a result of the reduction by the present Government in the size of the loaf, indicated in that assessment?
If there was an increase in the price of bread it is indicated in the NPC report. I am not sure of the number but the Deputy will find it in the Library.
I should just like to ask——
I have given a lot of latitude on this subject.
In view of the size of the volumes of price increases which are to be displayed in the Library—they are pretty hefty documents —would the Minister not say that there were X price increases and stop his codology?
They are in the Library and every Deputy got them through the post when they were published.
That is not so. We are not getting them since the change of Government. It should be so, but it is not.
If that is the case I am sorry; I understood they were still going out.
The Minister for Industry and Commerce is hiding them.
The Chair is calling the next question and expects to be obeyed. Let us make some progress with questions.
For the information of the House, the Minister is in Brussels.
He knew this question was coming up.