The body which represents the food industry has called for a range of measures to help the sector to deal with rapidly rising energy costs.
'Escalating energy costs are putting an already pressurised sector under intolerable strain,' said the director of Food and Drink Industry Ireland (FDII) Paul Kelly. He added that, with food prices falling, producers were unable to absorb the cost increases.
Mr Kelly said the industry had still not seen the long-promised Government energy strategy. Mr Kelly said the Government had passed on the total €10 billion cost of energy infrastructure to the private sector at a time when energy users were being hit by spiralling price hikes.
The FDII has called for the immediate publication of a national energy policy, Increased capital grant aid and tax relief for investments in alternative /renewable energy sources and excise duty relief on fuel.
