The latest consumer watchdog probe into grocery prices must have teeth, according to Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore.<\/p>\n
Speaking ahead of the party\u2019s motion on supermarket transparency this Wednesday, Deputy Whitmore said:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has re-opened a probe into grocery prices, but the government has failed to give it requisite powers to do its job.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow can this latest CCPC investigation be in any way meaningful when some large supermarket retailers do not publish the profits from their Irish operations?<\/p>\n
\u201cA box-ticking exercise serves no purpose for the families around the country who are struggling to make ends meet.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe rise in grocery prices, in recent years, has been astronomical. Many families are now spending \u20ac3,000 more a year to put food on the table than they were in 2021.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the past year alone, grocery prices have increased at three times the rate of general inflation, heaping huge pressure on individuals and families.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe government last promised action on grocery prices in 2023, when then Minister of State for Retail Neale Richmond gave supermarket chains six weeks to bring prices down. That was a monumental failure as prices have continued to soar<\/p>\n
\u201cWe cannot have another repeat of that ineffectual intervention. That is why the Social Democrats are bringing a motion to the floor of the D\u00e1il on Wednesday demanding action.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur motion calls for the introduction of legislation requiring all grocery retailers operating in Ireland \u2013 with an annual turnover above \u20ac10 million \u2013 to publish full audited yearly financial accounts. This requirement would apply to all operators, whether Irish-incorporated or international, to ensure no retailer can claim foreign registration to evade transparency obligations.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn addition, we are calling on the government to monitor and publish regular reports on the impact of this transparency initiative on grocery price inflation and competition in the retail sector.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is also a need for clarity on how much farmers and food producers are being paid for their produce, as it appears that the lion\u2019s share of the profits often goes to the big retailers.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s long past time for the needs of struggling families to be put before the eyewatering profits enjoyed by supermarket chains.\u201d<\/p>\n
7th July, 2025<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The latest consumer watchdog probe into grocery prices must have teeth, according to Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore. Speaking ahead of the party\u2019s motion on supermarket transparency this Wednesday, Deputy Whitmore said: \u201cThe Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has re-opened a probe into grocery prices, but the government has failed to give it requisite powers […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":11668,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[410,650,268,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12959","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-agriculture","category-cost-of-living","category-jennifer-whitmore","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n