TÁNAISTE AND Minister for Enterprise Mary Coughlan invited the chief executive of the National Consumer Agency (NCA) to attend a briefing on consumer issues hours after the issue of large price mark-ups by retailers was raised in the Dáil.
Ann Fitzgerald of the NCA and two of her officials attended a meeting with Ms Coughlan and senior officials of her department on Wednesday evening.
It took place some hours after an acrimonious and bad-tempered Leaders' Questions in the Dáil where Labour leader Eamon Gilmore raised the issue of consumers being charged far more for goods in Irish branches of retailers, compared to consumers in sterling areas.
The exchange preceded the private comments made by Taoiseach Brian Cowen in which he used an expletive while saying the Government needed to "get a handle on it".
Yesterday, Ms Coughlan told the Dáil that she met the NCA "which was a pro forma meeting to brief the Minister on these issues".
Originally, the Minister was due to meet only senior officials of her department to discuss consumer issues, as part of the introductory briefing process for her new portfolio. It was at her request, following Leaders' Questions, that Ms Fitzgerald was also asked to attend.
Last night, Ms Coughlan said that the disparity between prices in Ireland and the UK was a matter of "grave concern" to her.
On the question of why the benefit of the rise in value of the euro against sterling was not being passed on to consumers, she said she had asked the NCA to bring this up with Retail Ireland (the organisation representing the retail sector) "as a matter of urgency". Retailers have cited higher transport, VAT, insurance and security costs in Ireland as reasons for the price differential.
And yesterday the Tánaiste said it was important to shop around.
Her view was echoed by Mr Cowen. Speaking after his appearance at the National Forum on Europe in Dublin Castle, he said: "Public pressure right across the board [which is] recognising what's happening is an important downward pressure on those who are perhaps charging more than they should.
"People should ensure they shop around and get the best possible value.
"There are imports coming in that I think should be somewhat cheaper given the exchange rate between sterling and the euro . . . We have to try and get a handle on it and work with the agencies to try and get a handle on where things are at," he said.
Mr Gilmore said that the most interesting thing about the Taoiseach's infamous exchange in which he used the expletive was the first sentence.
"When he told Ms Coughlan that they needed to get a handle on it, it indicated that neither did have a handle on it.
"That to me is the real story. That was the most significant part of it," he said.
The department said yesterday that a March survey showed that 17 per cent of shoppers who were aware of a supermarket price comparison carried out by the NCA had changed their shopping habits. However, that was only 10 per cent of shoppers overall as only 64 per cent were aware of the exercise.
