Government blamed for rise of ‘rip off Ireland’

OPPOSITION parties have blamed the Government for contributing significantly to Ireland’s status as the most expensive country in the European Union for many everyday goods and services.

Fine Gael Enterprise spokesperson, Phil Hogan, said a new report by the National Competitiveness Council (NCC) confirmed the Government’s failure to control costs and prices over the past five years.

Mr Hogan said the NCC study provided final proof that the Government was the main culprit behind “Rip-off Ireland”.