The latest consumer watchdog probe into grocery prices must have teeth, according to Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore.
Speaking ahead of the party’s motion on supermarket transparency this Wednesday, Deputy Whitmore said:
“The 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.
“How can this latest CCPC investigation be in any way meaningful when some large supermarket retailers do not publish the profits from their Irish operations?
“A box-ticking exercise serves no purpose for the families around the country who are struggling to make ends meet.
“The rise in grocery prices, in recent years, has been astronomical. Many families are now spending €3,000 more a year to put food on the table than they were in 2021.
“In the past year alone, grocery prices have increased at three times the rate of general inflation, heaping huge pressure on individuals and families.
“The 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
“We cannot have another repeat of that ineffectual intervention. That is why the Social Democrats are bringing a motion to the floor of the Dáil on Wednesday demanding action.
“Our motion calls for the introduction of legislation requiring all grocery retailers operating in Ireland – with an annual turnover above €10 million – 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.
“In 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.
“There 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’s share of the profits often goes to the big retailers.
“It’s long past time for the needs of struggling families to be put before the eyewatering profits enjoyed by supermarket chains.”
7th July, 2025