Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As the Taoiseach well knows, food costs are crippling ordinary workers and families. Price hike after price hike has hit people's pockets hard. There is no sign of these costs coming down. Inflation in Irish supermarkets is at the highest level ever recorded, with the past three months alone seeing food inflation soar by up to 16.6%. The average shopper is set to see their annual grocery bill rise by €1,200. Shoppers are getting to the supermarket till and being charged eye-watering sums that they cannot afford. People's pay packets just cannot stretch any further. Yet, the Government shows none of the urgency that is needed to get to grips with the challenges people now face. This cannot continue. It is clear that action is needed today; not a vague promise, not kicking the can down the road and not the possibility of some movement in a number of months' time. We need to see concrete action that makes a difference in people's lives by cutting costs.

I understand the Government has now received the advice of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission about how to cut food costs. That advice must be published without delay. It must form the basis of a plan with teeth that will make a real difference. As the Taoiseach knows, last night Sinn Féin brought forward our plan to cut food costs that has three parts. The first is to ensure that savings made by supermarkets are passed on to consumers. The second is to instruct the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to investigate possible price gouging in the sector. The third and crucial part is to increase social welfare and pension rates to protect people from food poverty. These measures would make a real difference to people in the here and now. Sinn Féin set out its plan in the Dáil last night and the Government did not oppose it, but now we need to hear what the Government is actually going to do. We cannot have another case of the Government talking the talk but failing to follow through when it really counts.

We have seen posturing by the Government before. We saw it with insurance costs when the Government not alone failed to act but also blocked Sinn Féin's legislation that would have helped to cut costs for people. We saw it again with our proposal to cut and cap energy prices. We also saw it with our plan to support people hit by mortgage interest hikes. People need to see action that will get them more money back in their pockets. The Government is meeting with the industry today to discuss reducing costs. We need to know precisely what the Government is going to say to the sector at this meeting. Is gá na rialacha a chur i bhfeidhm maidir leis an tionscal a thabhairt chun cuntais. Ní leor caint theolaí agus gealltanais dhoiléire. Ní mór dúinn gníomh forfheidhmithe a fheiceáil. Agus ní mór dúinn laghduithe riachtanacha ar phraghsanna a fheiceáil chun billí bia daoine a laghdú. We need genuine enforcement. We need a holding of the industry to account. Cosy chats and vague promises are not enough; we need enforcement.

When will prices for families and consumers come down? What will the Government do if the industry ignores the cosy chat today? What will it do to ensure that costs actually do come down quickly for people?

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