Mattie McGrath demands debate on wood chippings and peat imports
Mattie McGrath criticised current import and pricing policies, calling for a new Dáil debate over wood chippings from Brazil and peat from Latvia and other countries. He warned that domestic peat and forestry are being bypassed and urged retailers to pass falling input costs on to consumers while authorities follow up on price behaviour.
Imports and environmental policy
McGrath condemned the importation of wood chippings from Brazil and peat from Latvia, describing the situation as "madness" and arguing that domestic peat and forestry resources are being overlooked. He said the policy mix is perverse and urged a parliamentary debate to examine the consequences of importing materials rather than using local resources.
Parliamentary debate demanded
He called for another debate in the Dáil to challenge what he called the influence of the "green tail" on policy - warning the tail is "wagging this dog" - and to press for changes to what he described as "stupid policies." He asked colleagues to consider a reasonable debate aimed at affecting policy change.
Cost of living and inflation update
McGrath addressed household costs, noting inflation peaked around 10% and has slowed to about 6%, with expectations it may fall to about 5% by year end. He cautioned that slowing inflation is not the same as prices falling, but pointed to reductions in petrol and diesel and recent supermarket moves that have lowered milk and butter prices.
Retail oversight and next steps
He said he had written to the CCPC in November in his capacity as the minister for enterprise, trade and employment, noting the commission has powers to investigate price signalling and cartel behaviour. He said other ministers are following up and that he has asked the minister responsible to bring forward the next meeting of the Retail Forum to engage with retailers in the coming days.
Monitoring retailer pricing
McGrath argued retailers raised prices when input costs increased and now must reduce shelf prices as input costs fall. He said authorities will monitor the situation and urged businesses to be clear that price reductions should be passed on to consumers.
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An independent group, we need a debate in this house about the madness that's going on with the importation of wood chippings now from Brazil, peat from Latvia and anything else from any other part of the world that we feel like, other than using our own peat and allowing our own farmers and our own forestation to be cut down to be used. So we need another debate in this house to see the tail, the green tail is wagging this dog and he'll keep wagging him until he'll fall off or the tail will fall off. But it's insane what's happening and we need a reasonable debate on this to try and affect the change of these stupid policies. Thanks very much, deputies. Just in relation to the cost of living and the high grocery prices that people are facing, we are seeing evidence now that inflation is slowing down, peaked around 10%, now around 6%, we expect it to fall by 5% by the end of the year but inflation slowing down is not the same as prices coming down but there is some evidence that some prices are coming down, certainly the price of petrol and diesel peaked quite some time ago, we're seeing now the price of milk coming down and we're seeing the price of butter coming down as well, given the announcement today by one of the supermarkets. When it comes to the CCPC, I wrote to them back in November in my capacity as Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment, they do have the powers to investigate price signalling and also cartel behaviour and they have the resources to do that and I know Minister Coveney and Minister Richmond are following up on that. I've specifically asked Minister Richmond to bring forward the next meeting of the Retail Forum so that we can engage with retailers further and he's going to take action on that in the next couple of days. And I do want to be very clear about this, retailers, other businesses increased prices when input prices went up, that's understandable. If input prices are coming down, well then they now need to reduce the prices that they charge consumers, I'm very clear about that and we are going to be monitoring it. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
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