Survey suggests buying Irish creates jobs.
- Thread starter STEINER
- Start date
T McGibney
Registered User
- Messages
- 6,758
Its an example of utterly incorrect and misleading reporting. The survey in question referrred to the average household spend on goods carrying the Guaranteed Irish symbol, not the the average household spend on Irish goods.
Most supermarkets I use show on the receipt how much you spend on "irish goods". Ours is probably around 30% of the total cost of the shop, I imagine that is quite a high percentage as we buy a lot of locally produced fruit and veg.
I buy whatever is best value, regardless of where it is from. I have no loyalty to buying Irish. The last major household item we shopped local, the item is now broke and I am in dispute with the shop over a repair, I won't be using this local shop ever again.
I buy whatever is best value, regardless of where it is from. I have no loyalty to buying Irish. The last major household item we shopped local, the item is now broke and I am in dispute with the shop over a repair, I won't be using this local shop ever again.
I always check my receipt for 'irish purchases' and it often surprises me products that I think are irish are not, we really need to know what is irish and what is not.
Yes, I like everyone love a bargain and good value, but if there was'nt a major difference between the cost of the irish product and the import I most certainly would buy the irish product. We need to support our own.
Yes, I like everyone love a bargain and good value, but if there was'nt a major difference between the cost of the irish product and the import I most certainly would buy the irish product. We need to support our own.
T McGibney
Registered User
- Messages
- 6,758
hastalavista
Registered User
- Messages
- 449
+1
One example is bulk chicken cuts imported from "where-ever" but packaged in Ireland gets coded as "irish" in some places: the last lot I investigated was Dutch chicken, imported in chilled boxes and packaged here.
The only 100% G/teed Irish item which you can be sure of is the crap weather
No most of it comes from across the Atlantic, some for Scandinavia/Iceland and the balance from across the Irish Sea!The only 100% G/teed Irish item which you can be sure of is the crap weather
I think Siucra is the worst offender - made in Germany, nothing to do with us anymore. Most people still think it's Irish.
serotoninsid
Registered User
- Messages
- 1,754
Doesn't "buy irish" defeat the whole purpose? Goods/Services have to stand on their own merits. Otherwise, it just encourages irish businesses to be uncompetitive in their offerings (be it price, quality, etc). Not saying I wouldn't factor it in - but has to be down the pecking order in the buying decision.
And "Dutch" chicken fillets come from the Far East. The Dutch inject it with water and beef protein (it makes the water into a gel and stops it flowing back out). This vastly increases the weight of the fillet and so makes it more valuable. The Brits have been going mad about this for years. I don’t buy Dutch chicken.
Agree in general terms but why not do both?I think the focus should be on selling Irish abroad, not buying Irish.
Buying anything is paying a bill, which is fine for retailers, but that's in our pond.
Marketing abroad and selling things is hopefully a profit, with a nett additional job behind it.
I agree, but I would add that it's often easy enough to get a good food product from Ireland, and the quality marks are helpful. We're probably all a bit prejudiced, but I really do think Irish food is better overall. I'm really happy to pay a small premium for that quality, but its often not needed as they retail at the same price thereabouts. Some products like Glenisk are so good they are worth paying a substantial premium for, but actually I don't see them charging it, which is great.
The central idea is that you switch to Irish produce where possible.
My wife and I go out of our way to buy as much Irish products as possible. Obviously, we look for quality. Eventhough, I have not had the greatest of education, I know that buying say German produce is good for jobs and the economy in Germany.
I go a step ahead also by buying as much locally produced items as possible. OK, we may have to pay a few bob more, but more money spent locally is good for the local economy. You dont have to have an Economics degree to know that this impacts on the national economy also.
When I hear people about to be made redundant being interviewed on television/radio and they come up with the old chestnut "We are going to start buying Irish from now on" I get a pain where it hurts. If we all bought quality Irish all the time perhaps we would not have the same amount of unemployment as we have.
Not buying Irish (especially in these times) is alarmingly crazy.
I go a step ahead also by buying as much locally produced items as possible. OK, we may have to pay a few bob more, but more money spent locally is good for the local economy. You dont have to have an Economics degree to know that this impacts on the national economy also.
When I hear people about to be made redundant being interviewed on television/radio and they come up with the old chestnut "We are going to start buying Irish from now on" I get a pain where it hurts. If we all bought quality Irish all the time perhaps we would not have the same amount of unemployment as we have.
Not buying Irish (especially in these times) is alarmingly crazy.
Last edited:
Agreed, but the focus has to be on exports otherwise we'll just be back in the internal feeding frenzy we were in four years ago.
Not all together true. Creating domestic demand for Irish products is just as important. We are not talking about selling each others houses here. One of the biggest problems we are going to face in the coming months is slowdown in our export markets. We need a domestic market that can take some of the slack. People have a tendency to get obsessed with exports but it is all about having a balanced economy.