The Social Democrats has said it will introduce legislation in the coming weeks for the Agri-Food Regulator (An Rialálaí Agraibhia) to be given the powers it needs to obtain full transparency around grocery prices.

Deputy Jennifer Whitmore said: “Families are really struggling with rising energy prices and soaring grocery costs, with some parents having to choose between feeding their children or heating their homes.

“Today, we saw stark figures from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVP), with the charity reporting a 7% increase in calls up to October and an astonishing 250,000 requests for help expected by the end of the year.

“The government is standing idly by as electricity bills continue to skyrocket, plunging households further into debt,” she added.

The Social Democrats has stated that the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) has not published updated arrears data since July – something the party said it needs to do urgently in order to gauge the “scale of the problem”.

“The CRU must also conduct an immediate investigation into the difference between wholesale energy costs and the retail price charged to customers to establish if there is price gouging occurring in the sector,” Whitmore added.

“This was recommended in the interim report of the National Energy Affordability Taskforce but has been ignored by the government.

“That is why I will be bringing forward legislation in the coming weeks to give the Agri-Food Regulator the increased powers it has been seeking – to no avail – from the Minister for Agriculture.”

The party has said that it is crucial that the regulator gets the powers of compellability it needs to force the food production and grocery sectors to reveal their costs and profits.

“Only by doing so will we be able to secure accurate price information and provide a proper analysis of the market,” the TD said.