Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

One of the recommendations of the original OECD report, which was implemented by the Government, was the abolition of the groceries order. That was supposed to promote greater competition, a reduction in prices and better value for the consumer. We now find that big multiples, such as Tesco, are extracting or seeking to extract large sums of money from Irish suppliers just to put their products on their shelves. A report last week suggested the multiples are trying to get €500,000 per time from Irish suppliers in order to stock their products. Has this practice been drawn to the attention of the Taoiseach and how will it be dealt with? Some sectors of the business community are encountering difficulties associated with over-regulation, or certainly over-enthusiastic regulation, and other sectors, such as the one I have described, are not subject to any regulation.

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