asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the number of prosecutions that have been taken since 14th March, 1973, in respect of overcharging; and the number of prosecutions that have been successful.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Overcharging Prosecutions.
45.
Since 14th March, 1973, there were 152 prosecutions for contravention of the various maximum prices orders. Convictions were recorded in 126 cases.
How does the Minister relate the statement that there were 152 prosecutions, of which 126 were successful, to the statement he made in this House on the 16th February in the debate on prices when he said that there had been over 600 prosecutions for overcharging?
I relate the two of them by the fact that the Deputy does not understand the existing legislation. If he did he would not have asked that supplementary. The answer I have given relates to contravention of maximum prices orders. That is an entirely separate category—not prosecutions for overcharging but prosecutions in the same period for breaches of the retail prices display orders. Of those there have been 414. There are also more than 200 cases pending. These pending cases are being dealt with every day. If one adds 414, 132 and some of the 200 pending cases, one would reach approximately the figure I gave in the debate.
It was because I know of the existing legislation——
Could the Deputy avoid making a statement?
Is the Minister aware that in his statement in this House on 16th February he positively said that there were over 600 prosecutions for overcharging? It is because I know that the Minister was unaware of the difference at that time that he used that figure——
The Deputy must not indulge in argument.
Why did the Minister misinform the House on the 16th February that there had been over 600 prosecutions for overcharging?
The Minister did not understand.
I do not have the text of the statement quoted by the Deputy. My point was on prosecutions in relation to the number of orders in regard to retail pricing that I have made——
Overcharging.
——and I did not break them down.
It appears that Deputy Lalor is right.