Multiples in the Irish Republic are to be quizzed by a parliamentary committee on why Irish grocery prices are among the highest in the EU.
The market’s major players, Tesco, Dunnes, SuperValu, Aldi and Lidl, as well as a number of other retailers, have been asked to appear next month before the Committee on Enterprise and Small Business.
The directors of the Competition Authority and the Office of Consumer Affairs, as well as the Consumers’ Association and RGDATA, the independent grocers’ body, have also been invited.
The initiative by the all-party committee follows a recent report from the National Competitiveness Council stating that the Republic is now the second most expensive country in the euro zone, after Finland, and that high prices are threatening foreign investment and job creation.
In addition, surveys have shown that Tesco’s Irish customers pay more for the same own label products than their UK counterparts, while Lidl’s prices in the Republic are also higher than in Northern Ireland.
Explaining the price gap, a Tesco spokesman said: “We source many products locally and the Republic is one of the most expensive places in the EU to do business.”
But the chairman of the Enterprise and Small Business Committee, Donal Cassidy, said members “are increasingly concerned that Irish consumers are not getting the value for money available to consumers in other EU countries”.
The committee, which has invited submissions from interested bodies and individuals, will also examine the impact of multiples on consumer prices, on small retailers and suppliers, as well as their commitment to Irish products.
The market’s major players, Tesco, Dunnes, SuperValu, Aldi and Lidl, as well as a number of other retailers, have been asked to appear next month before the Committee on Enterprise and Small Business.
The directors of the Competition Authority and the Office of Consumer Affairs, as well as the Consumers’ Association and RGDATA, the independent grocers’ body, have also been invited.
The initiative by the all-party committee follows a recent report from the National Competitiveness Council stating that the Republic is now the second most expensive country in the euro zone, after Finland, and that high prices are threatening foreign investment and job creation.
In addition, surveys have shown that Tesco’s Irish customers pay more for the same own label products than their UK counterparts, while Lidl’s prices in the Republic are also higher than in Northern Ireland.
Explaining the price gap, a Tesco spokesman said: “We source many products locally and the Republic is one of the most expensive places in the EU to do business.”
But the chairman of the Enterprise and Small Business Committee, Donal Cassidy, said members “are increasingly concerned that Irish consumers are not getting the value for money available to consumers in other EU countries”.
The committee, which has invited submissions from interested bodies and individuals, will also examine the impact of multiples on consumer prices, on small retailers and suppliers, as well as their commitment to Irish products.
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