Politicians are demanding that supermarkets cut back on prices as pressure mounts over the cost of living crisis.
Labour's finance spokesperson Ger Nash is calling on government to introduce caps on food items. A Dail debate took place yesterday on the worrying issue of grocery inflation.
The Irish Mirror reports that supermarket reps will be brought before the Dail tomorrow to discuss the spike in prices. Senior executives from major supermarkets, as well as organisations such as Retail Excellence Ireland, will be in attendance.
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Sinn Fein TD Louise O'Reilly also voiced concern over rising grocery costs. The politician levied criticism at government, accusing officials as being "out of touch" with struggling families and workers.
Ms O'Reilly told the Dail: "The burden that the escalating cost of living is placing on workers and families is completely unsustainable. Now these challenges are being compounded by soaring grocery and food bills, which have increased by almost 17 per cent over the past year."
Retail analysts Kantar recorded the highest level of inflation across Irish supermarkets over the past 12 months. Ms O'Reilly predicted that bills could soar by as much as €1200 per year for consumers if they didn't alter their shopping habits.
The politician also called on the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to investigate suspected price gouging in the retail and grocery sector. Sinn Fein has asked government to ensure savings made by supermarkets are reflected through the introduction of lower costs in stores.
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