'Cowboys' - TD accuses Dunnes and Tesco of scamming customers with clubcards and vouchers

Labour TD Conor Sheehan has labelled supermarkets in Ireland "cowboys" amid soaring grocery prices.

During a heated exchange in the Dáil on Wednesday, a motion was raised by the Social Democrats on the transparency of supermarket profits as the cost of living in Ireland continues to put pressure on most people across the country.

The motion received widespread support in the chamber, with Labour TD Conor Sheehan becoming particularly animated by the topic, accusing supermarkets such as Tesco and Dunnes of "price gouging" and "scamming" customers with their clubcards and voucher programmes.

The TD said: "Chocolate, I have the humble snack bar in my hand, has doubled in price. You used to be able to get twelve of those a decade ago for a euro. It's €5 now for twelve of them and it's not the farmers in Africa who grow the coco who are benefitting from this.

"Supermarkets should have to tell people if they are paying more for less. Supermarkets are gouging people. They must be forced to publish their profit margins."

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He went on to say: "I want to talk about Tesco and their Clubcard prices, a scam. Dunnes and their vouchers, another scam. What I would say to these supermarkets is forget about these vouchers and drop your prices. People are going around supermarkets around this country like eejits, basically, trying to buy X amount of things to get a fiver or tenner off the shopping. Or buying particular products and scanning the app so the price will drop." 

The Labour TD added: "There was research in 2022 which found that Irish shoppers are spending €500 chasing voucher deals. I bet that's doubled since then. They're causing people to waste money. Aldi was found in Germany to have breached EU consumer law by claiming fake discounts on bananas, I mean this is absolutely insane.

"Supermarkets here are charging double UK prices. €6 for a jar of mayonnaise here, €4 in the North." 

He concluded: "It's about time the Government implemented our bill and reigned these cowboys in."

Both Tescos and Dunnes have been asked for a comment in response to Deputy Sheehan's remarks in the Dáil on Wednesday.