"Action” should be taken against any retailer profiteering on the sale of groceries and food, Arts Minister Catherine Martin has said.
However, she refused to say whether or not she believed supermarkets were making excessive profits while hard-pressed customers continue to be hit with rising prices.
It came just hours after Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that there was “evidence of profiteering” during an interview with Virgin Media’s The Tonight Show.
READ MORE: Leo Varadkar suggests some energy companies and supermarkets are profiteering
Speaking in the National Gallery as she unveiled a Paul Cézanne painting, which was previously estimated to be worth $1.2m and $1.8m, Ms Martin said that she was aware of the Taoiseach’s comments.
However, she declined to give her own opinion on whether there was profiteering at play.
She said: “Minister Richmond is engaging and there'll be further engagement in six weeks’ time. We will see what will happen there as a result of that meeting earlier this week.
“I am not going to comment on [whether I think there is profiteering] without absolute certainty on it. I don't think it'd be wise for me to say that and I’ll leave that to the relevant minister.
“But I would hope If it were the case, then I would like to see action on that.
“That's what Minister Richmond is trying to get to the bottom of.”
During an interview on Thursday evening, Mr Varadkar suggested that both supermarkets and energy companies were profiteering off the back of high prices.
The Taoiseach said: “The reason why prices have gone up is manifold – It's the war in Ukraine. It's the snapback in demand after the pandemic. [It’s] interest rates going up. There's lots of different reasons.
“The evidence is there, even the European Central Bank says it, that there are some companies that are recording bumper profits. That is profiteering in my view.
“When it comes to energy companies, we're hitting them with windfall taxes and special dividends. We'll use that money to get back to people to help with their electricity bills, small businesses as well.
“When it comes to the grocery sector, we're engaging with them on that now, but we expect to see prices come down.”
Mr Vardakar also refused to rule out the introduction of windfall taxes on supermarkets’ profits if they are found to be abnormal.
Elsewhere, Minister Martin said that she has expressed concerns to her Cabinet colleagues about the tourism industry following a report that 10,000 jobs in the industry have been lost due to a lack of beds. Many hotels are still in contract with the Department of Integration to provide accommodation for refugees and asylum seekers.
Minister Martin has commissioned an assessment on how a lack of beds is having a “knock on effect” on other parts of the tourism industry. She said if supports for the industry is required, she wanted to have them ready to go.
However, when asked if the reduced VAT rate would be extended beyond September, she said it was “indicated the last time it was extended that was the final time”.
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