Consumers given false hope, say Oireachtas

THE Competition Authority gave consumers “false hope” that grocery prices would fall, an Oireachtas committee said yesterday.

The authority was among the strongest voices calling for the abolition of the Groceries Order, which prevented retailers from selling goods below their invoice price and passing on supplier discounts to consumers.

Last year, the then chairman of the authority, Dr John Fingleton, said the order was costing consumers €577 million a year. The average household, he said, was paying €481 per year more for groceries than was necessary.