An Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine has heard from representative groups RGDATA and Retail Ireland on pricing pressure in the Irish supermarket industry.
A delegation from RGDATA led by Co Cavan retailer John Foy and including independent retailers Joe Doyle of Donnybrook Fair and Richard Nolan of Nolan’s in Clontarf outlined independent retailers’ views on the proposed code of conduct for the grocery sector, while Retail Ireland outlined developments taking place on a pan-European basis to implement a voluntary code agreed by manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers.
As Chairman of the Committee Andrew Doyle TD explained, "Both Committee Members and retailers agreed that downward pressure on pricing should not in any way compromise the integrity of the product being sold and that labelling systems must be improved EU-wide. […] During this process, we are committed to ensuring a level playing pitch for all smaller players."
He noted that the views expressed at the meeting, as well as subsequent meetings scheduled for the coming weeks, will be used in the development of a Committee report on the issue.
