Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)

I thank the Minister of State for being here today, although I must call out that it is a shame that more members of her Government do not choose to be here to discuss this very important topic because I, as a member of the Social Democrats, am very proud to bring forward this motion which really speaks to some of the challenges faced by the poorest in our society in simply making ends meet. I will make four points: the inaction we see from the Government on price gouging; the scale of this issue; the lived experience; and specifically those on the margins.

First, on the shocking inaction on price gouging by the Government, two years ago the Minister of State, Deputy Neale Richmond, gave the supermarkets six weeks to bring prices down. Six weeks passed without incident or reduction, as has been the case every week since, while supermarkets have continued to operate business as usual. Without this information, we cannot address the potential price gouging we suspect may be happening in this sector. We know from the supermarket profits that are published that their profits are growing, we know that no action has been taken by the Government to stop profiteering in its tracks and we know from farmers and producers that while prices spiral that they are not getting a cut.

When the Government gives an ultimatum and then does nothing, it sends a message that it will not level anything but strong words at big businesses. Let us look at the scale of the issue. We have the third-highest grocery prices in Europe. They have risen 36% in the last four years, adding €3,000 to the annual grocery cost of the average family in Ireland. One in four parents said they went hungry in the past year to feed their children; 15% of people in Ireland are living in forced deprivation and for renters that number is doubled. As we see the cost-of-living supports disappear for these families the cost-of-living crisis is going nowhere.

What about that lived experience? We can quote statistics all day long but we must address the human impact of these numbers. I have spoken to parents who are struggling to put food on the table for their children. It is not just stress but also the shame associated with that. It is hard to fathom for those of us fortunate enough to never experience it. Grocery items are not luxury goods or optional extras. Charities and community organisations in my constituency, Dublin Rathdown, have said the number of people asking for help with food has risen drastically. People are choosing between heating and eating not because they have done anything wrong but because they have not been protected as consumers and as citizens.

As my colleagues have pointed out, everyone is feeling the impact of these skyrocketing prices but those on the margins are being pushed ever closer to a cliff edge. Lone parents, pensioners, people with disabilities, those already in poverty are examples of people who are already vulnerable to those extra costs. They are the hardest hit in this crisis and we cannot let the issue go unaddressed while they continue to suffer and, in some cases, starve. Ireland is a wealthy country but too often our people do not see that wealth in their lives. I say again that food is not an optional extra. It is not a luxury. In one of the world’s wealthiest countries we cannot tolerate price gouging being shrouded in secrecy and lack of proof. We must address it and do something about it.

When it comes to issues that affect their lives so much, people ask me if the Government is incompetent or negligent? Is it that it does not know how to do anything about it or does it choose not to? In the sector I come from, rights and equality, we have a phrase: what we cannot measure we cannot change. So when the Government chooses to not measure the problem all I can conclude is that it is doing that on purpose so that it does not have to address it. Once again, as in so many areas in the short life of this Government so far, we see the interests of business put ahead of those struggling most in our society. I ask it to please make supermarkets share their profits so that we can identify this problem fully and address it fully.

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