Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

To discuss mortgage interest rates is to depart from the subject matter. There is no question of removing mortgage interest from the consumer price index. If there had not been upward movements in energy prices and mortgage interest rates, the inflation rate would have been 2.1% rather than 4% because these two areas account for around half of the inflation rate. Unfortunately, both factors are outside domestic control.

To conclude the discussion with Deputy Rabbitte, any efforts to remove tobacco from the consumer price index would be made in the context of wage agreements. The CPI must take account of tobacco because it is a commodity people buy and use.

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