asked the Taoiseach the price of a gallon of top grade petrol on 1st May, 1973, and on 1st May, 1977.

The national average retail price of "high grade" petrol as surveyed for the compilation of the consumer price index was 35.88p per gallon at mid-May, 1973 and 95.35p per gallon at mid-February, 1977 which is the latest date for which information is available.

In respect of the 60p per gallon increase, could the Parliamentary Secretary say how much of that went to the producer and how much to the State?

I cannot say offhand what the proportions are, but the Deputy will appreciate that an oil crisis took place in the middle.

Is the Parliamentary Secretary indicating that an oil crisis was responsible for a 200 per cent increase?

What I am saying is that had there been no oil crisis the answer today would have been a different one.

What had the most recent price increase to do with an oil crisis?

Does the Deputy mean the one announced last week?

That is right.

That is a different question.

Deputies are entering into the area of policy, which is for another Minister.

That increase had nothing to do with the oil crisis.

It is due to an increase on the producers' side. That is not within the question and I have not got the information, but——

The Parliamentary Secretary gave the excuse of an oil crisis.

The oil crisis, as everybody knows——

Question No. 2.

Is it not true that the increases imposed by the Minister for Finance were two and a half times higher than the increases imposed by the Arabs?

No.