Chicken up €6 in three years: ‘Crazy’ inflation outlined to Dáil

By Gráinne Ní Aodha, PA

The “crazy” increase in the cost of everyday food items has been raised in the Dáil, as the opposition accused the Government of being inactive on the issue.

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said that in the past year, butter had become €1 more expensive, a kilo of Irish cheddar was up 57 cents, and two litres of milk was up 27 cents.

She cited figures in The Irish Times that indicated a kilo of chicken had cost €4.99 in 2022 and now costs €11.

“That’s just crazy,” she said, telling the áail that prices were “out of control”.

“Many households are now paying €3,000 extra a year in the supermarket than they were in 2021.”

She accused the Government of having “failed to exert any real pressure” on retailers, after a junior minister handling the issue was “unceremoniously ignored”.

“Your latest plan, it seems, is to do absolutely nothing, to stick your head in the sand, allow people to be ripped off week in and week out.

“Let me just give you some more CSO data – over five years, sugar is up 54 per cent.

“A filet of cod, up 55 per cent, pork sausages 21 per cent, lamb 48 per cent, spaghetti up 46 per cent.

“Nothing has changed, people are still to the pin of their collar,” she said.

Social Democrats deputy leader Cian O’Callaghan called for transparency on food prices.

“We all have suspicions that we’re being ripped off in this country and being price gouged when it comes to food prices, but there’s no way to prove it because we don’t have full transparency when it comes to supermarket profits,” he said.

“People are handing over 10 billion euro a year to supermarkets to buy food for their families. Why is there not full transparency about profits here?

“Given that people have to buy food, there’s no choice on this, why is this not a requirement for all supermarket retailers and chains?”

Taoiseach Micheal Martin said the Government was “very, very conscious” of price increases and the cost of living.

He said although inflation had fallen to 1.4 per cent in May, down from 2 per cent in the same month last year, food prices remained “very high, and basic essentials, milk, butter, pasta and bread, cost more than ever.

He added that support introduced across various budgets, including over the pandemic period, had prevented people from being at risk of poverty.

Mr Martin also said HRT was made available free of charge from June, free school books will be extended to all students from September, and hot school meals will be available in every school.

He accused Mr O’Callaghan of having a “tremendous habit of asserting what I said earlier which, of course, I didn’t say at all”.

He said Mr O’Callaghan had accused him of “rattling off figures” in his earlier answer when he had not.

“We’re looking, we’re looking at every aspect of cost and price with a view to getting prices down.”