Some UK chain stores a 'rip-off': Fine Gael

Fine Gael has accused some UK chain stores of 'ripping off' Irish customers.

A price survey, carried out by the party earlier this week, compared the cost of a random selection of goods available to both Irish and UK customers of Tesco, Habitat, Argos, Marks and Spencer's and Dixon's.

It found that a basket of five items from Tesco was 43% dearer in Ireland. One item, a packet of razor blades, was 87% more expensive.

The survey claims that Irish customers of Habitat and Argos also pay more, but prices in Dixon's and Marks and Spencer's were found to be almost identical.

Fine Gael Finance Spokesman, Richard Bruton, says the survey shows that there is no obvious reason for what he calls 'chain store rip-offs'.

Tesco Ireland has described the survey as highly selective and dangerously misleading, and it called on Fine Gael to compare the prices of grocery stores which are operated by the Musgrave group in both the UK and Ireland.