Fine Gael enterprise and trade spokesman, Mr Phil Hogan, has strongly criticised Dunnes Stores and Aldi for refusing to appear before an Oireachtas inquiry on grocery prices and profits.
Speaking at the start of the hearings today, Mr Hogan said it was unacceptable that any major company should openly frustrate attempts to see how consumers can get better value in their weekly shopping.
"Irish consumers spend 20 per cent of their hard-earned weekly income on grocery goods. Yet very little is known about these companies' operations.
Mr Hogan said Dunnes and Aldi "go to inordinate lengths" to conceal details of their turnover and profitability in Ireland, but Irish consumers and suppliers need to know if these stores are making massive profits from their operations in Ireland.
Mr Hogan said he would be asking all the retailers appearing before the committee to disclose details of their turnover and profitability.
He welcomed the fact that Superquinn and Tesco would be appearing before the Committee along with representatives of the independent trade, including BWG, Musgrave and RGDATA.
Mr Hogan said he would be asking the committee to recommend a change in the Companies' Acts to prevent companies involved in the supply of consumer goods from concealing details of their profitability in Ireland.
He said that in the absence of hard figures retailers' claims that high food prices are due to high operating costs must be treated with scepticism.
"There must be no corporate untouchables in Ireland and no company that has such an important role in people's everyday lives should be allowed to engage in corporate gymnastics to conceal its profitability from the public gaze," Mr Hogan concluded.