Joanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein)

I thank the Social Democrats for putting forward this timely and worthwhile motion. This is an important issue that affects everyone in the State at this time. Everyone knows that Ireland is one of the most expensive states in Europe for groceries. The gap between us and our European neighbours looks to be growing year on year. Some prices could be understandable but when we look at the EU Commission website and see that non-alcoholic beverages are the most expensive in Ireland, at 40% above the EU average, it makes no sense. It is the epitome of the rip-off Ireland that faces us today. We all see it. Grocery prices have increased at three times the rate of general inflation over the past year alone. If that were a cost to the great and the good, as the Government sees them, then the Government would act. Because it is the general public, however, that is affected most by the huge increase in grocery prices, the Government is taking its usual hands-off approach, citing some obscure report that backs its reasons for sitting on its hands and ignoring the facts that shoppers see weekly in their grocery bills. The Government has abandoned households as prices continue to soar. One hundred and 12 weeks ago, the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, gave the major supermarket groups a six-week ultimatum to bring down the cost of groceries. We are still waiting and the consequences of that are stark.

The damning Barnardos cost-of-living 2025 report released yesterday shows that Government policies are failing families and, worse still, are failing children. The report highlighted how families are scrambling to gather an additional €3,000 per year just to put food on the table. It highlighted that 40% of parents are skipping meals, that 12% of parents are using food banks, that 40% of parents are borrowing money and that 19% of families cut back or go without food. Let that sink in for a minute. This is the reality of where we are in 2025. The Government’s response to this motion is not reality. Stop sitting on your hands and get up and make the changes that are needed now. Childhood is the first thing poverty steals from any child, and this is rampant in our society. Unfortunately, it is under the Government’s watch.

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