Representatives of the retail trade have been appearing before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
The grocery chain, Aldi, told the committee bank charges in Ireland were ten times higher than those in Britain. Aldi's Donald Mackay said there were many other parts of its business which cost more than in Britain, including salaries, property rents and insurance. Electricity costs twice the UK rate, and VAT rates are higher, he added.
Cormac Tobin, head of the largest pharmacy chain Unicare, claimed that some biscuits cost more than twice as much here as in Britain. He said McVities biscuits here cost 220% of what they would cost in Britain, while the price of a Colgate toothbrush was 74% dearer and Pampers baby wipes were 40% dearer.
Mr Tobin said had tried to persuade Irish distributors to cut prices following the fall in the value of sterling, but most had refused. He believed the only way prices would come down was when retailers named and shamed the distributors responsible for the high prices.
Retailer group RGDATA told the committee a tin of baby food - SMA Gold - made in Dublin costs a retailer €11.24 - but it can be bought in England for €8.72. Jim Marshall, a director of the group, said other prices here were also much higher.
He said a packet of Mach 3 razor blades cost €9.88 from the Irish distributor - but can be bought for €6.87 abroad.
John Foy, president of RGDATA, said he had been buying bottles of 7Up - which is produced in the Republic - in the North for 40 cent a bottle cheaper than he could get here. But he claimed the supply was cut off after the Northern agent came under pressure for selling into the Republic.
