Thomas Gould
Question:27. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will provide an update on his engagement with the retail forum regarding food prices. [31627/23]
View answerThursday, 29 June 2023
Questions (27)
Written answers
I met with grocery retailers in May when I outlined that grocery prices in Ireland are too high and are putting some households under serious pressure. I was assured by the retailers that they will continue to pass the impact of any reductions in input costs on product prices to their customers.
I met grocery retailers again on 21 June seeking an update on what progress has been made.
They advised me that they have reduced the cost of quite a number of products and they will continue to monitor this.
Minister Simon Coveney met with the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) on 24 May to discuss the ongoing issue of food prices and the costs incurred by consumers on that front.
Following this meeting, he wrote to the CCPC to request that they provide their views on the grocery retail market, including on areas such as the level of profitability in the sector, international practices and sectoral trends of pricing practices.
On the 20 June 2023, Minister Coveney published the Consumer and Competition Protection Commission’s (CCPC) report, A High-level Analysis of the Irish Grocery Retail Sector on the 20 June 2023.
The Report found that food inflation in Ireland has been the lowest in the EU in recent years and that changes in input costs may take time to be passed on to consumers.
Minister Coveney and I will continue to engage on this and I will contact food retailers in August to seek an update on their progress. A meeting of the Retail Forum is scheduled for September.