asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if revised rates of Postal and telecommunications charges have yet been decided on.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Postal and Telecommunications Charges.
26.
(Dublin South-Central): An announcement on this matter was made on 5 July 1979 in a news release issued by the Government Information Services. It is hoped to make a further announcement within a few days giving details of the new charges.
How was the increase of 20 per cent arrived at?
(Dublin South-Central): It was decided on to defray the expenses and charges of wages and salaries.
That is a separate question in any event.
Is there any prospect of receiving a breakdown of the figure of 20 per cent?
(Dublin South-Central): I do not have that information available now.
Would the Minister not agree that an increase of this magnitude because of increased rates of remuneration, increased charges, losses arising from the Post Office dispute and so on warrants an explanation from the Department? Surely this historic increase would require some explanation.
(Dublin South-Central): If Ministers have to concede to the pressures put on them by Opposition Deputies they may not be able to confine the increase to 20 per cent.
Was this increase of 20 per cent examined and approved by the National Prices Commission?
There is nothing on the Order Paper regarding the increase.
I am sure the Minister knows the answer.
It is a separate question as to when the increases might come into being.
Am I correct in saying that it was not approved by the National Prices Commission?
(Dublin South-Central): It was not processed in the usual fashion.
Why not?
How was the matter processed? I ask this because, apart from a bland announcement of a 20 per cent increase, no indication has been given as to the basis of the increase. We are aware of certain elements which would require an increase but surely the projected expenditure——
I am not trying to prevent the Deputies from seeking information but we are pursuing an endless chain of questions which are not relevant. The question was to ask the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if revised rates of postal and telecommunications charges have yet been decided on.
Approval by the National Prices Commission is central to the whole thing and the failure to go through the National Prices Commission is quite remarkable. Private business people have to go through the National Prices Commission so why do the Department not have to?
(Dublin South-Central): My Department are proceeding on the basis of total expenditure the same as any other Department.
May we have the elements of that expenditure?
(Dublin South-Central): The Deputy may put down another question.
(Interruptions.)
Why was it not processed in the usual fashion?
(Dublin South-Central): Because it has not been done in the past.
Arising out of that, the Minister mentioned in reply to a supplementary question that the increase had not been processed in the usual fashion which implies that some different procedure was adopted in this case. What is the position?
(Dublin South-Central): When I said that, I was comparing it with ordinary applications from outside businesses.
I see. So in this case it is just a question of thinking of a number.