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FOOD PRICES SOAR WHILE GOVERNMENT PLAYS ‘WAIT AND SEE’
TD for Dublin South West Seán Crowe has called for the Government to take action to bring down the cost of feeding a household as research by Kantar showed that grocery prices rose by 17% in the past year and could cost families an average €1,200 extra by next year if measures are not put in place to control the price of food.
Speaking in the Dáil recently, Teachta Crowe said “Grocery prices have soared by 17% over the past year, which is the highest rise ever recorded. This means the average grocery bill could rise by €1,200 a year, just to put food on the table, if the current trend continues. “We know this rise in the cost of living shows no sign of slowing down. What we were told was a temporary rise in inflation, a reaction to the war in Ukraine, has persisted and running a household is becoming increasingly unaffordable.
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Prices will not come down on their own. We saw this with petrol and diesel where a slight decrease from the highest prices became the new normal. It is the same with utility bills and grocery bills. Prices will not come down unless action is taken in this House to protect workers and their families.
“The Government likes to say ‘No’, whether it is on mortgage interest relief supports or with the rising cost of putting food on the table for a family. Food banks are popping up all over the place and this Government will not even consider taking action until the October budget. That is a long way away for a lot of people when they see large bills coming through the door and they are wondering how to pay for basics like food.
“We need to increase weekly social welfare and pension rates to stem the flow of