RGDATA welcomes food inflation news

RGDATA has wasted no time in pointing out that Irish food inflation - at 1.6% - is now equal to the European Union average rate.

The organisation, which represents the independent retail grocery trade in Ireland, has argued that removing the Groceries Order would not lead to lower consumer prices as claimed by the Competition Authority.

Commenting on the figures, Ailish Forde, Director General of RGDATA said: "The latest CPI figures are good news for Irish consumers. Irish food inflation is now half the headline rate of inflation.

"The simple fact is that retailers are continuing to offer low prices against a background of savage and unrelenting increases in operating costs ," Forde added.

The cap on the size of retail units and the Groceries Order, which bans below cost selling, has been under scrutiny since a Forfás report published earlier this year.

The 'Consumer Pricing Report 2003' stated that Ireland was the most expensive country in the Eurozone after Finland for a wide range of goods and services.