Michael Ahern (Cork East, Fianna Fail)

Deputy McHugh devoted most of his contribution to explaining why, in his view, the strategy group's analysis of the high cost of groceries in Ireland was flawed. It is his analysis that it is flawed. Not only was the CSG report not the basis for the decision on the order, but the CSG never argued that the order should be removed because our grocery prices were higher than in other European countries. The CSG report stated that the order should be removed because it had resulted in grocery prices that were higher than they otherwise might be, which is a very different concept. This assertion was borne out by the detailed analysis carried out by my Department as part of a subsequent public consultation process. If Deputies opposite me and even some of my own colleagues had spent more time reading my Department's report they would understand better the harm the groceries order was doing——

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