Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Parents, families and workers are really struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. Whether it is energy bills, rent, mortgage payments, groceries, clothes - the list could go on and on - the price of everything is going up and nothing is coming down. Last week’s Kantar report and the ECB back this up. People are put to the pin of their collar. Food poverty is a very real issue. The Minister of State and his Government have to get a grip on it.

As my colleague Deputy Cronin has said, I too find doing the weekly shop heartbreaking when I see parents at a till asking the cashier to stop when the total reaches a certain amount, or when I see the parents putting stuff back because they cannot afford it.

This is the lived reality for many people. All the staples of the weekly shop have all gone up in price, be they butter, milk, bread or other items. The war in Ukraine was blamed for the rise in prices. The cost of production has come down, yet prices in our supermarkets still stay the same. It is very simple; this is price gouging. Some call it greedflation. Whatever it is or is not, it is wrong and is really hurting people.

The Minister of State is meeting with the large supermarkets this week. This is welcome but it is a little late. This should have been done months ago. It is now time for the Minister of State to start playing hardball with supermarkets. They were not shy when they put up their prices overnight. He said he is not opposing our motion so I take it he agrees with some of our requests. When the Minister of State meets representatives from these supermarket chains, will he ask them to reduce their prices as quickly as they put them up for people? Our people need that. They are hoping the Minister of State will deliver on this.

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