Paul Hosford: On price caps and paywalls, how far can the government go?

The whole debate, and the Government's desire not to intervene in the free market, comes at the same time as the Tánaiste Micheál Martin bemoans the "creeping paywalling" of GAA events

Opposition parties have clamoured since February for a cap on staple goods, but this week junior enterprise minister Neale Richmond convened the Retail Forum to get tough on those shopkeepers who might see an opportunity in inflation to raise prices unnecessarily. File picture

Just how far is the Government willing to go is a question asked in political circles every week.

In the boxing ring of party politics, the punch-counterpunch is some version of problem, followed by government announcement, followed by Opposition criticism that the Government has gone too far/not far enough.