Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

As we all know, the incomes of most households in this country have fallen over the past couple of years. The Government led us to believe that the cost of living dropped in line with the fall in income suffered by families and households. The publication yesterday of the EUROSTAT figures on prices is revealing. They indicate the price of food in this country is 29% higher than the EU average, bread and cereals are 32% higher, meat is 21% higher and milk, cheese and eggs are 37% higher. I know the Taoiseach will argue that the figures are based on a comparison of prices conducted in early 2009 but I have studied the changes in the consumer price index since that period and, adjusting accordingly, huge differences remain between this State and the rest of Europe. I calculate the figures at 23%, 26%, 15% and 33%, respectively, for the aforementioned categories. Farmers are experiencing reductions in the price of stock, food suppliers and producers tell us they are being squeezed, in particular by the big retail multiples, and now it appears that the consumer is being screwed.

When I raised the issue of prices with the Taoiseach in May 2008, he informed me that he intended to invite in the National Consumer Agency for a discussion on the issue. Since that time, we have been hearing from the Government that some kind of code of practice would be introduced for the grocery and retail sector generally. That has not happened and the legislation providing for the establishment of a code on a statutory basis has not been introduced. Meanwhile, there is a huge gap between prices in this country and the rest of the European Union.

One of the problems we appear to face is that we cannot get to the bottom of the extent of profit taking by the big multiples because the Irish operations of UK multiples are not required to publish separate accounts. Similarly, privately and family-owned multiples are not required to publish their accounts. Will the Government consider introducing or amending legislation to require multiples which are operating in the Irish retail sector, particularly in the grocery trade because this impacts most seriously on families, to publish annual accounts so that we can get an idea of the extent to which these operations take excessive profits from their activities in this country? This is particularly important given that the prices paid to farmers and producers have decreased even while consumers are charged prices that are way out of line with the rest of Europe.

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