Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

What was already post-pandemic inflation has now risen even further as a result of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Key commodity prices are skyrocketing, such as for wheat and palm oil, on the global markets and this will impact on Irish households. Figures released by the Central Statistics Office on the increase in food prices in the past year show that bread has increased by 8%, and this is before the consequences of the war have impacted on the prices on the shelves. Price rises, as the Minister knows, do not affect everybody equally. They hit those on low and middle incomes hardest. It was reported that the Government received a briefing on the potential impact of global price rises on the economy and households. We also know that the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine met with the farming sector without any concrete proposals. Will the Minister outline to the Dáil the potential impact of food price rises, which was shared with him? What is the Government's plan to secure our food supply? Finally, what measures will the Government introduce to support households struggling with rising costs?

See this speech in context