asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the number of items which have increased in price from March, 1973, to date; and the cost of advertising the increases in question.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Price Increases.
36.
With regard to the first part of the question, I would refer the Deputy to the reply given to similar questions by Deputies Dowling and Briscoe on 6th November, 1973.
With regard to the second part of the question, the exact total cost of advertising the increases in prices recommended in the monthly reports of the National Prices Commission since March, 1973, is not yet known as final statements of account have not been received from the newspapers. The total cost is, however, estimated at £8,770.
Could the Minister indicate how many items have not increased in price since March last?
The Deputy is well aware that the Minister could not do so without notice of the question. Perhaps the Deputy would like to put down a question and I will try to get the information for him.
Could the Minister not answer the question easily? The reason presumably is that he could not answer it unless he said "None".
This is Question Time, Deputies.
Is the Minister not aware that that precise question was put down by Deputy Dowling for answer today but was disallowed on the grounds that it was argumentative. The Minister did not seem to regard it as argumentative. It is simply a question of fact. The civil servants can tot up the items and the Minister can give us the information. Is the Minister prepared to give us an answer now?
As I have indicated, I am not able to give the answer now. The Deputy is fully aware that the NPC reports are published and that it is a fairly simple matter to go through them.
Is the Minister aware that there have been many other increases besides those many increases recommended by the NPC and sanctioned by the Minister? Is the Minister not aware that the increase in VAT has resulted in increases in virtually every item other than food?
Therefore, there has been a direct increase in price in everything, apart from NPC recommendations and sanctions by the Minister.
The Deputy is getting further away from his supplementary question as he amplifies his statement. It is quite clear that until one has specific lists of categories which are agreed it is not possible to give lists of all the increases. A product is made up of several parts.
Does the Minister believe that there are many items that have not increased in price?
The Minister believes that and is aware that the prices are rising less rapidly now than they were in the period when the Deputy was a Minister.
(Interruptions.)
I know the memories of the Deputies opposite are not too good, and they are not too good with figures. The highest rise in the cost of living came at the end of the quarter when the Deputy opposite was the responsible Minister.
(Interruptions.)
Deputy Lalor. Please.
Deputy Dowling put down a question and it was refused. The Minister has given the impression that a number of items have not increased in price. Could we get the Ceann Comhairle to agree to allow Deputy Dowling's question?
The ruling of the Chair cannot be questioned.
Why let the Minister carry on with this bluff?
The ruling of the Chair must not be brought into this matter at all.
Would the Chair allow me to say something on this matter before it gets even more confused? I am happy to give Deputies as much information as I can. I have not been consulted by the Ceann Comhairle as to the interpretation of the rules or whether questions are admissible or not. I do not know the form of Deputy Dowling's question. If this question is put down in a form which the Ceann Comhairle accepts as admissible and if it appears on the Order Paper I will do my utmost to answer it fully.
The form of the question indicated quite clearly that the information desired was the number of items which have not increased in price since March. The Minister knows the answer. The answer is "None". The Minister also knows that the cost of living has increased in the first six months of the Coalition Government more than in any previous six months.
I would like to ask the Minister to give us the figure asked for in the first part of this question. The Minister referred in his reply to a reply he gave on a previous occasion. The House is entitled to an up to date figure on items which have not gone up since March, 1973. Can the Minister give us that figure?
The question was asked in regard to "the number of items". This question is not capable of being answered.
Is the number too high?
No. The Deputy cannot be as dense as not to understand the reasons. The Deputy is not obtuse and dense. I will take time to answer his question. A particular item may be packed in seven different sizes of package and unless one has an agreed list as to whether that counts as one or seven items—and such list does not exist—and unless the list enumerates every item in the retail trade of the country it is not possible, as the Deputy well knows, to give a precise answer to the question asked. This has been asked to get by-election mileage out of it. It is a silly, tendentious question.
The Minister did not appear to have the same type of information prior to the general election. Nevertheless, he was able to make pronouncements on prices.