The call to abolish the Groceries Order Act by Mr Feargal Quinn of Superquinn has been strongly criticised by RGDATA, the body representing retail grocery, dairy and allied trades. It was "ill-conceived, naive and self-serving", it claimed yesterday.
RGDATA's director general, Mr Michael Campbell, said he was "surprised at Senator Quinn's sudden desire to seek the replacement of the Act", which outlaws the demanding of "hello money", below cost selling and abuse of credit terms by supermarket multiples.
Mr Campbell added: "We know he did not raise the issue when Superquinn made a general presentation to an Oireachtas committee a number of weeks ago. I now wonder if he has expressed his apparently passionate desire to remove the order to the Merger Review Group?"