Families across Ireland 'scrimping and saving' to afford basic food, Dáil told

Junior enterprise minister Niamh Smyth said food price inflation 'has had a tangible impact on the cost of living for many families, particularly those on fixed and lower incomes'.

Families across Ireland are "scrimping and saving" to afford basic food, the Dáil has been told.

Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore made the claim during her party's motion on transparency in the grocery sector, which would require supermarkets to publish their Irish profits, saying shopping bills have risen by €3,000 a year for many families.

Ms Whitmore said many families would be unable to cope with unforeseen expenses and this "is not a niche issue or one that is only affecting a small number of people".

She said the scale of price increases means "huge numbers of lower- and middle-class families are finding things increasingly difficult".

"More and more people are finding this completely unaffordable. They spend all of their time desperately trying to keep their heads above water and every waking minute worrying about how they are going to pay the bills. 

They are scrimping and saving, not for a family holiday or a treat for their children, but simply for basic food. The negative impact this is having on people's wellbeing is enormous. 

"Any unforeseen expense, such as a washing machine breaking or a car needing repair can throw family budgets into chaos."

She said according to a recent survey, 15% of Irish consumers would be unable to cope with an unforeseen expense of €1,000.

Junior enterprise minister Niamh Smyth said food price inflation "has had a tangible impact on the cost of living for many families, particularly those on fixed and lower incomes" but said the State's regulators were already well-equipped to deal with issues like alleged price gouging.

Labour's Ged Nash accused the Government of a "Father Ted" approach, saying there was no clarity about the profits being made by supermarkets.

"This is the 'Father Ted' approach to the cost-of-living crisis in Ireland. It is a fool's errand. Without clear information and without compelling the supermarkets to publish their profits, we will have no reliable data."

Sinn Féin's Paul Donnelly said while "everyone understands that businesses have costs... the profits are eye-watering".

"Tesco made a €120m profit in Ireland. We only have the figures for the North for Dunnes Stores; we do not have them for the 26 counties. Its £3.8m in profits soared last year to £12.7m. 

All these super profits are being made while people are unable to afford their weekly bills.

In response, junior minister Jerry Buttimer said the Government "is not standing still" in its bid to support consumers. He said "everyone" was concerned with the cost of shopping bills, but rejected the idea the Government was not acting. 

He said the Social Democrats' motion would give new powers to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, which it did not require.