Food Prices: Many Cannot Eat Enough

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Buying food has become a nightmare. Many people have to cut back on what they eat because the pieces are so high.

A litre of milk has increased by 53 cent. A pound of butter is now 73 cent dearer. Six eggs will cost you 38 cent more. And you will pay an extra 94 cent for a chicken.
When you count it all up the average household is spending an extra €1,159 a year just on their grocery bills. Then they have to pay a mortgage or rent, energy bills, and a host of other costs.
The government has sat on its hands, doing nothing. Months ago, People Before Profit warned that action had to be taken.

Under section 62 of the Consumer Price Act 2007, the government can place maximum price orders on food if there is an emergency. And when many poor families cannot eat enough it is definitely an emergency.
But the government is just talking about the problem and then blaming 'global inflation’.
So Junior Minister Niall Richmond is meeting the big supermarket chains this week to ask them to lower prices. Why does he not just impose price orders?

To cover their inaction, Varadkar claims that there is a global problem. He forgets to say that sanctions imposed on Russia helped cause the price hikes. These are hurting working-class people in Ireland and doing little damage to the Russian war effort.
Food prices have actually been falling across the world in recent months. Dairy prices, for example, have been dropping consistently.

Yet not in Ireland. Even before the present crisis, Irish food prices were 17% above the EU average and the second highest in the EU.
The time for talk is over – bring in price controls on food now.

People Before Profit

Photo by Robert Hrovat on Unsplash