Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to talk about the cost of living, "greedflation" and corporate social responsibility. I welcome the fact that the Government has called in the retailers to address with them the fact that the price of ordinary basic staples, such as bread, milk, butter, vegetables and all the products that are in our shopping baskets, are not dropping in line with the reduction in costs. The costs were very quick to skyrocket. It is putting enormous pressure on households all over the country, not just in my own constituency of Dublin Central. This level of insensitivity to the retailers' customers is unacceptable in our current environment.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, everybody pulled together. With the war in Ukraine, everybody is pulling together. This a cost-of-living pressure is affecting everyone, and some more than others. We are a rich world, however. We are a rich society and country. We commend those who are in a position to make a profit on taking the risks and making the investment and creating employment. However, they also have a corporate social responsibility to society and to their employees, customers, producers and suppliers.

I ask that the House sends a strong message and that the Acting Leader writes to the retailers to express the urgency the House wants to see in a response from them. I appreciate that they have made a commitment to Government to come back within six weeks, but people shopping in Ireland today need a break this week, next week and every week for the next six weeks.