Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

I will certainly note prices wherever I go. I also call on my colleagues in the Seanad and my councillor friends throughout Ireland to supply information on the price of products such as petrol or diesel. The fact that the Government insists on the price being displayed at the forecourt is the reason I am in a position to get that kind of information. This type of information is not always easily available, but is now required by Carmel Foley, the Director of Consumer Affairs, to be displayed in shops, supermarkets and elsewhere. Therefore, it is easy for anyone to see the price of diesel and petrol and it really helps to bring prices down. It is noticeable in any town that generally prices are the same at all forecourts. In Midleton, for example, there are queues outside Neville's because it is so competitive. The other forecourts in the town are also very competitive as a result. It should be emphasised, however, that it is difficult to compare a small filling station in a rural area, given its volume of trade, to a town-based forecourt which can offer a whole range of other facilities.

In certain localities, for instance, shops are open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. The price of groceries in a store such as this cannot be compared to supermarkets such as Tesco and Dunnes because they have a different type of market. Nevertheless, they provide a good service and they can help to keep prices down.

As far as drink prices are concerned, I have discovered that probably the cheapest pint is in Charlestown, County Mayo. I understand the price quoted there is approximately €3 per pint of Guinness. In the town of Roscommon, the price is running at around €3.20 for Guinness, €3.21 for whiskey and €3.50 for lager, which is quite competitive. Those are prices that could, perhaps, be equalled elsewhere. The prices in Dublin are extraordinarily high. The same may be said for cities such as Cork and elsewhere. Bars in cities are charging too much for drinks, but, again, this is a matter for their own judgment because, unfortunately, there is no price control in this industry. I appeal to consumers to check the prices and ensure that publicans are alerted if they are too high. This would ensure that those who overcharge are unlikely to be supported. There are reports in Dublin of enormous prices, such as up to €3.80 for a pint of Guinness. In Cork some of the major hotels charge very high prices as well, but they retort that the price of insurance has gone up.