Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Niamh Smyth has reminded traders that it is an offence to "give a false or misleading indication of a price".

She issued the warning after indicating she was "aware of recent reports regarding discrepancies between shelf prices and prices charged at tills in certain grocery retail outlets.”

The minister was responding to a parliamentary question by Independent TD, Deputy Barry Heneghan, who asked if she was aware of the reports.

He also enquired whether the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) had dealt with retailers on this issue, and asked for clarity on the enforcement or compliance measures that are available under consumer protection legislation.

Minister Smyth said: “Under the Consumer Protection Act 2007, traders are required to provide consumers with clear, accurate and transparent pricing information.

“This includes displaying the correct price, providing the total price to be paid, and ensuring that consumers are not misled in relation to the price of a product or any additional charges.”

“It is an offence for a trader to give a false or misleading indication of a price or to charge a higher price than that displayed.”

CCPC enforcement powers

Minister Smyth outlined some of the powers of the CCPC.

She said: “The CCPC is the independent statutory body responsible for enforcing consumer protection law.

“The CCPC has a range of enforcement powers available to it, including inspections, investigations, compliance notices, fixed payment notices, undertakings, and prosecution where warranted.

Details of enforcement outcomes from these inspections will be published by the CCPC as part of its regular reporting, the minister said.

Minister Smyth added that her department “engages with the CCPC on an ongoing basis as part of its wider oversight of consumer protection policy”.

“Ensuring that prices are accurate, transparent and clearly displayed is essential to maintaining consumer confidence and enabling consumers to compare value," she said.

“The CCPC will continue to monitor compliance within the grocery retail sector and take enforcement action wherever sufficient evidence of breaches is identified.”