Pearse Doherty slams 'unfair and punishing' mid-contract price hikes

Pearse Doherty says that he plans to introduce legislation that would ban mid-contract price hikes.

The Donegal TD, who is the Sinn Féin finance spokesperson, has slammed price rises which will hit consumers from Monday.

Petrol will rise by four cent a litre, diesel will go up by three cent with 1.5 cent to be added to the price of marked gas oil.

Broadband, TV and mobile phone providers are also to increase the monthly cost of their services, with some going up by as much as €8 per month.

“I raised this with the government earlier in the year, but they have failed to act and are completely out of touch with the pressures workers and families are facing,” Deputy Doherty said.

“Last month I wrote to the Commission for Communications Regulation outlining my grave concerns regarding this pricing practice and have called on them to ban it without delay.

“In its response the regulator shared my concerns but made clear that banning this practice could only be achieved through legislation.”

Deputy Doherty says that his party would act to 'ban this unfair and punishing practice', noting that people are being hit by the rises in the middle of existing contracts.

He said: “When people sign up to a phone, broadband or TV contract, they should be certain about what they are going to pay.

“This practice not only hits households with punishing price rises, but it also means that they have no certainty about the money that they will pay for these services.

“The government have done nothing to stop this outrageous practice and are sitting on their hands as consumers continue to be fleeced.

“In the coming weeks I will introduce legislation to ban this harmful practice which harms consumers and hits households with unfair and punishing price hikes."