Sinn Féin Leader Mary Lou McDonald today raised the cost-of-living crisis with the Taoiseach, and accused his out-of-touch government of refusing to bring forward supports to help hard-pressed households deal with out-of-control prices.
Speaking during Leaders’ Questions, she said: “A kilo of chicken that cost €4.99 in 2022 now costs €11. That’s just bonkers. Many households are now paying €3000 extra a year in the supermarket than they were in 2021.”
She highlighted that, in May 2023, Minister Neale Richmond told the public that he had the situation under control, and said: “He puffed-out his chest, called in the big supermarket chains and declared that they had just six weeks to get prices down. That was 110 weeks ago. Clearly the Minister failed to exert any real pressure, because he was unceremoniously ignored, and things have only gotten worse for customers at the checkouts. You couldn’t get the job done so you just walked away, and left households to feel the pain.”
She called on the Taoiseach to intervene, adding: “Your message to workers and families under enormous pressure is this – you are on your own. Was it all just bull and bluster when government called in the big supermarket chains two years ago? Will you do anything at all to tackle soaring food prices? How on earth can you refuse to consider any cost-of-living supports when people are under pressure to make ends meet?”
Ms. McDonald’s Dáil contribution in full:
Taoiseach,
Households continue to be hammered left, right and centre by soaring prices with no let up.
It’s extortionate rent.
Big electricity and gas bills.
High fuel prices.
Unaffordable childcare.
Runaway insurance premiums.
Prices are out of control. Workers and families are squeezed, forced to live week to week. They ask themselves, when will it all stop? They can’t keep up.
Nowhere is this clearer than when it comes to the weekly shop. A report published today by PwC finds that 70% of Irish customers are extremely worried about the cost of food. This is just the latest in a series of reports confirming what people already know – food prices are through the roof.
Let’s take a look at some of the basics.
According to the CSO, in the last year alone, a pound of butter is up over a euro.
A kilo of Irish cheddar is up 57 cents.
Two litres of milk is up 27 cents.
Writing in the Irish Times last week, Conor Pope found, according to figures provided by Pricewatch, that a kilo of chicken that cost €4.99 in 2022 now costs €11. That’s just bonkers.
Many households are now paying €3000 extra a year in the supermarket than they were in 2021. No wonder families are finding it harder and harder to put food on the table, in some cases cutting back on basics.
People now feel serious pressure and anxiety as they push their trolley towards the checkouts.
In May 2023, Minister Neale Richmond told the public that he had the situation under control. He puffed-out his chest, called in the big supermarket chains and declared that they had just six weeks to get prices down.
Well, that was 110 weeks ago, Taoiseach. Clearly the Minister failed to exert any real pressure on those retailers, because he was duly and unceremoniously ignored, and things have only gotten worse for customers at the checkouts.
And that was it.
That single, limp intervention was the entirety of the government’s efforts to tackle runway food prices. You couldn’t get the job done so you just walked away, and left households to feel the pain.
And your latest plan is to do absolutely nothing. To stick your head in the sand and allow people to be ripped-off week-in, week-out.
So out-of-touch is your government that you dig-in and refuse to bring forward supports to help hard-pressed households deal with these out-of-control prices.
Your message to workers and families under enormous pressure is this – you are on your own.
Tá praghasanna bia tar éis méadú go hard na spéire. Tá teaghlaigh á lomú gach seachtain nuair a théann siad don tsiopadóireacht. Caithfidh an rialtas gníomhú chun daoine a chosaint ó na costais ollmhóra seo.
Taoiseach, was it all just bull and bluster when government called in the big supermarket chains two years ago?
Will you do anything at all to tackle soaring food prices?
And how on earth can you refuse to consider any cost of living supports when people are under pressure to make ends meet?
