A TD has hit out at the grocery regulator for giving Irish supermarkets ” a clean bill of health” even though their prices have soared in the past year.
Labour’s Ged Nash said he was sceptical at the verdict of the Competition & Consumer Protection Commission ( CCPC) which ruled the big Irish food retailers are no more or no less profitable than comparison EU supermarket chains.
Irish supermarkets do not publish their profits publicly.
But the Drogheda TD and his party have recently sponsored a private members bill in the Dail forcing the Irish supermarkets to do so.
He demanded that his new bill be enacted so data on their profits is revealed publicly and for the Government to order the CCPC to carry out an in depth study of the Irish grocery market in the interests of transparency.
Deputy Nash said:’ Given the limited reliable data that is publicly available on supermarket profits, it is a big stretch for the CCPC to definitely claim that the Irish arms of global retailers are no more or less profitable than their EU counterparts.This is a peculiar conclusion to reach under the circumstances.
“This is exactly why Labour’s Unfair Pricing Bill, which could compel operators to share data on profit margins with the CCPC so they can undertake more request market analysis and surveillance to ensure competition is working and consumers are treated fairly, must be enacted by the Government.
“Because the CCPC says that current prices in Ireland are in line with other EU countries is little comfort to hard-pressed Irish households where salaries are not rising as quickly as prices.
“We need to get a better understanding why prices for the basics in Ireland have remained high for so long; why they are not coming down and why there is only moderate competition with no new, major entrants in 25 years.
“This Report does not have the answers and it reveals in stark relief how limited the actual functions of the CCPC are.
“Farmers have the Agri-Food Regulator to stand up for their interests while the limited interest the government has in how competition and consumer protection works in the interest of citizens and small retailers means citizens are left to suck up high prices.”
