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Irish prices among highest in EU

Ireland has the second highest prices for food and non-alcoholic drinks in the European Union, according to the latest survey from Eurostat.

Despite more than 15 months of deflation, the survey found prices here were on average nearly 30 per cent higher than the EU average. In contrast, prices in the UK were 3 per cent below the EU average.

Denmark had the highest prices, almost 40 per cent above the EU average. Ireland had the highest prices in the EU, along with Cyprus, for dairy produce such as milk and cheese, 37 per cent above average.

Ireland was also one of the most expensive places to buy bread and cereals, with prices found to be on average 32 per cent dearer.

For meat, only four other countries of the 27 EU States had higher prices than Ireland, where it was 20 per cent dearer than average.

Alcohol prices in Ireland were 67 per cent above average, the survey found, second only to Finland. Ireland had the highest tobacco prices in the EU - more than twice the average.

Along with Ireland, Finland, Luxembourg, Austria, Belgium, Germany and France had prices between 10 per cent and 30 per cent above the EU average.

Italy, Cyprus, Sweden and Greece were up to 10 per cent above the average, while the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, Slovenia, Malta and Portugal were up to 10 per cent below.

Latvia, Slovakia, Estonia, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Lithuania had price levels for food and non-alcoholic beverages which were between 10 per cent and 30 per cent below the average, while Bulgaria, Romania and Poland were between 30 per cent and 40 per cent below.