Hard-hit Irish consumers face paying more for dairy products and fish as wholesale costs skyrocket, figures revealed yesterday.
Producers were forced to increase the price of milk, eggs and cheese by 53% in the past year which will now most likely be passed on to shoppers. CSO figures show electricity costs jumped by more than 86% in 12 months.
Consumers Association of Ireland chair Michael Kilcoyne said: “The cost of living is going through the roof. The Government is doing very little to intervene or curtail it.”
Read more: House prices 'forcing young people to move away' from Dublin area
Monthly wholesale pricing also found fish shot up by nearly 20% while meat increased by more than 13% between July 2021 and July 2022. The Wholesale Price Index for July also found that the cost of electricity went up by more than 86%.
This has been blamed for causing dairy products prices to increase as a result of energy intensive tasks such as milking and manufacturing. Wholesale prices is the amount charged to large distributors not the customer– but an increase here will usually affect everyday punters over the coming weeks.
Statistician Jillian Delaney said: “Wholesale and producer prices continued to rise in most categories in July 2022. Producer prices in several food categories were significantly higher in July 2022 compared with the same month last year.
“Outputs from Irish manufacturers also increased in price in several other categories. Monthly manufacturing factory gate prices increased by 2.4 per cent in July 2022, the same increase for July of last year. The annual percentage change rose by 6.2 per cent in July 2022, the same increase in the year to June 2022.”
But a fall in the global oil markets has seen the price of wholesale petrol and diesel drop by four and 3.5% respectively in the last month. Mr Kilcoyne stressed this winter in particular was going to be tough for people all across the country as the cost of living continues to spiral out of control and said people will be faced with whether they will eat or heat up their homes.
Mr Kilcoyne blasted the Government and said TDs are “out of touch” and claimed they didn’t “care”. Mr Kilcoyne said: “This winter some people will have to decide if they’re going to eat and if they eat they’re going to be in the cold or if they decide not to eat they’ll be hungry.
Read more: Older people 'can't cope' with winter energy price hikes
“The Government is getting VAT, the higher petrol or diesel goes for example the more the Government brings in VAT. We are facing a frightening situation. It’s not good enough at all.” He fumed: “Our TDs are doing nothing about it. They don’t seem to care. They don’t seem to realise and they’re certainly not in touch.”
Read next:
Gardai launch renewed appeal for information as man dies after Kildare attack
Man dies after suffering serious head injuries in Co Kildare attack
- Emergency services rush to scene of car fire at Blanchardstown Retail Park
- Eamon Ryan thanks public for kindness after mother's tragic death
- Cocaine worth millions seized in Dublin raid
Sign up to the Dublin Live Newsletter to get all the latest Dublin news straight to your inbox.
