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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 3 Dec 1998

Vol. 497 No. 7

Written Answers - Meat Prices.

Nora Owen

Ceist:

74 Mrs. Owen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the information she has in relation to the prices of meat sold to consumers in the Irish market; the nature of the investigation she is carrying out into prices charged; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26165/98]

In the course of my recent meetings with the retailers, I put it to them that they should be in a position to convince consumers that they are giving a fair deal on falling meat prices. I would also exhort consumers to be aware of competing prices and to make the market work by making informed purchasing choices.

The most recent CSO consumer price index — October 1998 — indicates that in the twelve months since October 1997 the CPI rose by 2.9 per cent compared with 3 per cent in the 12 months to September 1998. Food prices increased by 4.5 per cent during the October 1997 to October 1998 period compared with an increase of 4.6 per cent during the 12 month period ending September 1998. The CPI also noted that food prices decreased during the month of October 1998 due to, inter alia, falling beef, mutton-lamb, pork and poultry prices.

As this House will be aware, the general policy of successive Governments since the mid 1980s has been to ensure that there is true competition in the marketplace. I have already drawn the attention of the Director of Competition Enforcement to a recent debate in this House on the differential between farm prices and retail prices and I have asked him to take such action as he considers appropriate. The Competition (Amendment) Act, 1996, provides for public enforcement of the rules of competition by the Director of Competition Enforcement.
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