asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the action, if any, he proposes to take with regard to the contents of the recent Restrictive Practices Commission report on a comparison of grocery prices in Dublin and in England, in particular the statement on page 110 of that report which shows that almost half of the 160 items evaluated were some 10 per cent or more, more expensive and over a quarter were 20 per cent more expensive in Dublin.
Written Answers. - Consumer Survey.
13.
I think the Deputy is referring to the Consumer Association of Ireland survey which was published in the September 1987 issue of Consumer Choice magazine and which was carried as an appendix to the report made by the Chairman of the Restrictive Practices Commission into alleged differences in grocery prices between here and the UK, including Northern Ireland.
The chairman, in his report, found that most of the price differences disclosed in various published surveys (including that of the CAI) were accounted for by differences in taxes, movements in currency rates and by monetary compensatory amounts (MCA) on certain products. When these factors were excluded, the differences shown by the surveys were comparatively small — generally from less than 2 to about 6 per cent.
Nonetheless the chairman made a number of recommendations which he felt could help to reduce grocery prices here and I am looking at these in so far as they fall within my area of responsibility. Many of the recommendations relate to matters which are the responsibility of other Ministers and I have, where appropriate, drawn these to attention. Others of the recommendations are addressed to the trade itself and I have no doubt that these will also be looked at closely by the parties concerned.