The Finance Minister is telling businesses not to come looking for help from Government if they're engaged in price gouging.
Concerns are being expressed about the high costs of hotels, hire cars and hospitality services here.
Minister Paschal Donohoe says that while he understands the industry was among the hardest hit during the Covid-19 pandemic, they have been given assistance in the form of a lower VAT rate.
In a stinging criticism, Minister Donohoe says businesses who are now overcharging customers are undermining the country, and can not expect help in the future:
"The people who will pay the price for overcharging and for charging prices that are far too high will be those businesses themselves as consumers vote with their own feet with the goods or services that they buy. My message to those businesses that are involved in those kinds of practices is; don't come to me or don't come to the government in a few months time looking for help when your own business practiced your own pricing decisions, have undermined the competitiveness of your business and undermined the competitiveness of our country."
