Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I think Deputy Carroll MacNeill and I find ourselves in large agreement with a lot of what Deputy Kelly said. I know I get myself in trouble from time to time for saying these sorts of things but the cost-of-living challenge is still very real for people. We have to acknowledge that. We have to prudently budget and carefully work our way through things and always protect our economy. We can quote all the economic statistics we want but the cost of living is still very challenging for many people I would loosely refer to as the squeezed middle. On supermarkets in particular, I welcome the measures taken by Minister of State, Deputy Dillon. He met the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and asked it to review again the Irish grocery retail sector on the issue of excessive pricing. I am told that is expected to be completed in the coming weeks. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has a statutory mandate now to investigate anti-competitive behaviour to ensure consumers are not misled or exploited. I understand several major retailers have been prosecuted for misleading discount practices. These cases marked the first wave of enforcement under new pricing transparency laws. We have committed to strengthening the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission further in the programme for Government. Perhaps we could work constructively on what that law should look like.

I will specifically ask the Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, for a view on loyalty cards. I share the Deputy's concerns. It is one thing if it is optional but if it becomes almost mandatory to have it or you have to pay a much higher price, that is a legitimate cause for concern.

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