Mr Ó Súilleabháin heard about the range of challenges facing Mr Steemers’ business and those of fellow independent retailers,  including high business rates, staff costs and escalating energy bills.

Mr Ó Súilleabháin said: “Mr Steemer’s business has been here for a century offering an excellent service and a wide range of services, which are indispensable for people living in Bunclody and the surrounding area. However, you have to wonder how much longer it will continue if things continue as they are.”

Mr Ó Súilleabháin has represented the Wicklow–Wexford for Sinn Féin at Leinster House since the 2024 election and before that served for over a decade as a Wexford Councillor and also had a career as a special education teacher. The meeting was convened after the Fed’s President in Ireland Martin Mulligan wrote a new series of letters expressing concerns about rising costs and red tape to Sinn Féin, Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Independent TDs.

Mr. Steemers said: “I was impressed by Mr Ó Súilleabháin’s positive and friendly approach. He clearly understood the challenges we face as small retailers and our need for support. We spoke about the cost challenges facing Fed members across Ireland and how they are simply driving many out of business. We spoke about the need for a Small Business Ombudsman to promote the voice of small businesses like retailers and we look forward to working with Mr Ó Súilleabháin and other TDs across the political spectrum at Leinster House.”

Also attending the meeting was the Fed’s membership services manager Gwen Patterson.

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The new capability helps fuel retailers comply with fuel price transparency regulations that require forecourts to submit price updates to the Fuel Finder database within 30 minutes of any change.

Once configured, EDGEPoS connects directly with the government Fuel Finder API and automatically detects price changes from compatible fuel controllers, including Tokheim and Enabler 4 systems. The platform checks for price updates regularly and only sends data when a price change occurs, helping retailers meet reporting obligations without the need for manual submissions.

By automating the reporting process, Henderson Technology aims to help retailers reduce administrative burden while ensuring compliance with evolving industry regulations.

Darren Nickels, Retail Technology Operations Director at Henderson Technology, said: “Fuel price transparency is becoming an increasingly important focus across the industry and forecourt retailers need technology that makes compliance straightforward. By integrating automated Fuel Finder reporting directly into EDGEPoS, we are helping forecourt operators remove the complexity from the process while ensuring price changes are reported quickly and accurately.

“We also made the decision to provide this functionality free of charge to our EDGEPoS retailers. It is important to us that forecourt retailers can meet regulatory requirements without additional costs and this is another example of how we continue to enhance the platform to support their businesses.”

The system forms part of EDGEPoS’ wider remote fuel management capabilities and includes monitoring tools that alert retailers if a submission fails, allowing issues to be quickly identified and resolved.

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The new SaaS offering is being delivered by Alternative Energy Ireland (AEI), a leading solar and renewable energy company that Certa acquired in 2023. SaaS enables large Irish businesses to harness the power of rooftop and ground mounted Solar Photovoltaic (PV) panels to significantly reduce their energy costs and carbon emissions without any capital investment or maintenance costs.

Jabil, who specialise in the design, development, and commercial scale up of complex and innovative healthcare products for the world’s leading pharmaceutical, medical device and diagnostic companies, is the first company in Ireland to avail of the new service in a deal valued at €1.2 million.

The company is installing 3,000 rooftop solar PV panels at its state-of-art premises in Bray, Co. Wicklow where it employs 450 people. The 1.5-megawatt (MW) solar system will generate 1.3-million-kilowatt (kWh) units of renewable solar power annually for the next 25 years. It will reduce carbon emissions by 360 tonnes each year.

Lindab, one of Europe’s leading suppliers of energy-efficient ventilation systems, building solutions and accessories, is also one of the first Irish companies to avail of Certa’s SaaS offering having agreed a deal valued at €200,000.

The company is installing 400 rooftop solar PV panels across its three sites in Dublin. The 178-kilowatt (kWh) solar system will generate 165,000-kilowatt (kWh) units of solar power annually and will reduce carbon emissions by 44 tonnes each year.

Certa will manage the delivery of each new solar energy project through Alternative Energy Ireland (AEI). It has also partnered with Wewise, a sister company within the DCC plc group, to deliver its comprehensive solar solution for the Irish market.

AEI will manage the installation and ongoing maintenance of each new solar energy project to ensure they achieve 90% of their expected energy output annually, with the added benefit of real-time monitoring. Wewise will provide Irish businesses with tailored financing arrangements for these solar energy projects without upfront costs.

Certa is targeting the installation of around 50 megawatts (MW) of solar PV capacity across 100 Irish businesses over the next five years. This is expected to generate about 50 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of clean energy annually, enough to power approximately 12,000 Irish homes each year.

The initiative is part of DCC plc’s strategy to provide energy that is secure, cleaner and competitive. SaaS supports Ireland’s ambition to realise its climate change targets of generating 80% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030, as well as a 51% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 relative to 2018 levels.

Orla Stevens, Managing Director, Certa Ireland said:

“We are delighted to provide our Solar as a Service to Jabil and Lindab and to respond to the growing demand from large commercial businesses in Ireland who are seeking renewable energy solutions that enable them to reduce their energy costs and carbon emissions without any capital investment or maintenance costs.”

“Our SaaS model is designed to help businesses adopt solar energy and to overcome the barriers to adoption, including limited access to capital to finance the initial high cost of installing renewable energy infrastructure, and the ongoing financial commitment that is required to maintain the solar power technology.” 

Steven Bray, Managing Director, Alternative Energy Ireland (AEI) said:

“Solar as a Service makes it easy for businesses to harness the power of solar energy without the cost of purchasing and maintaining the technology. The service includes a single monthly fee and a service level agreement for the duration of the contract. It is a win-win for Irish businesses with the other benefits including significant energy savings and a reduced carbon footprint”

Certa has agreed a Solar as a Service (SaaS) deal with Jabil valued at €1.2 million. The delivery of the solar energy project includes the installation of 3,000 rooftop solar PV panels at Jabil’s premises in Bray, Co. Wicklow. The 1.5-megawatt (MW) solar system will generate 1.3-kilowatt (kWh) units of renewable power annually and will also reduce carbon emissions by 360 tonnes each year. Pictured at the announcement were Migdo Natal, Industrial Engineering & Facilities Manager at Jabil, and Orla Stevens, Managing Director of Certa Ireland.

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Trip frequency grew by 5.7% over the four weeks, as shoppers stocked up for a busy month of celebrations, with Shrove Tuesday, Valentine’s Day and The Six Nations Championship all taking place or continuing in February.

Eimear Faughnan, Head of Retail for Ireland at Worldpanel by Numerator, said: “February was a busy month of celebrations, and the data indicates that Irish shoppers stocked up on their food and drink favorites to make the most of these events.”

Over the latest 12-week period, brands have seen a boost in both value and volume growth, with shoppers spending an additional €159 million on branded products year on year. Brands hold more than half of the market, at 50.9%, and shoppers turning to branded products when indulging has resulted in an additional €45.3 million spend on branded wine and chocolate confectionery.

“Although shoppers are still feeling the pinch, this doesn’t mean that they have stopped turning to brands they know and trust, which highlights just how much shoppers value familiarity,” Eimear Faughnan added.

Despite this, own label continues to perform strongly, with year-on-year growth of 2.9%. The strongest growth has been observed in premium own label, with shoppers spending an additional €8.7 million on these ranges versus last year. Own label now holds 44.6% of value market share, down from 45.6% last year.

Valentine’s Day shoppers indulge at home

Spending across popular products associated with Valentine’s Day increased across the board over the four weeks, as Irish shoppers chose to indulge at home. Value growth in confectionery chocolate increased by 21.5%, champagne and sparkling wine by 15.8% and wine by 31.3%. Boxed chocolates, typically a popular Valentine’s Day gift, gained new shoppers, increasing by 4.5 percentage points.

Despite the uptick in sales across these two alcohol categories, demand for low- and no-alcohol options continued. Spending on the category totalled €2.2 million, up 46.1% on last year. Meanwhile, an extra €1.65 million was spent on fresh and frozen dine-in meals over the four weeks.

Eimear Faughnan added: “While shoppers are still popping the cork on champagne, sparkling wine and wine, a rising focus on health and wellbeing is transforming what ends up in their glasses, with low- and no-alcohol options continuing to gain momentum.”

Pancake toppings flip to growth

February also brought Shrove Tuesday, and sales of pancake ingredients featured heavily in shopping baskets over the four weeks. Shoppers embraced sweet toppings to treat themselves this Pancake Day, with lemons, berries, and dessert sauces including salted caramel, ice cream and maple syrup toppings all proving a hit with new shoppers.

Demand for convenience was also clear, with 15% of households buying pre-made pancakes and spending more than €400,000 on the category during February compared to the previous month.

Looking at market share, Dunnes holds the lead with 24.5% share over the 12 weeks to 22 February, with value sales up 4.9% year on year. Dunnes recruited new shoppers to stores, contributing an additional €30 million to the grocer.

Tesco’s share increased by 0.3 percentage points in the latest period, growing ahead of the market at 6.7% and taking its share to 24.2%.

SuperValu saw 0.5% value growth, with 19.5% share and increased footfall contributing an additional €33 million to sales.

Aldi grew by 1.4%, with a 4.7% increase in trip frequency taking share to 10.5%.

Lidl posted double-digit growth for the third consecutive period, with growth of 12.2% contributing to its share increasing by 0.8 percentage points. Lidl was the only retailer to increase its volumes, up 2.9% compared to the same period last year.

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The Food Safety Authority of Ireland’s (FSAI) Food Safety Consultative Council today held an open meeting to explore the growing impact of misinformation on food safety. ‘Navigating Misinformation in Food Safety’ brought together leading experts to examine how misinformation spreads, its real-world consequences, and the approaches required to respond to it effectively.

Over 250 people registered for the event, which took place at the Convention Centre Dublin, and featured a lineup of speakers from the FSAI, a medical doctor, representatives from University College Dublin and the Irish Cancer Society. Journalist and entrepreneur Mark Little delivered the keynote address.

Chaired by Suzanne Campbell, Author and Journalist, the event also offered insights into the psychological and behavioural factors that contribute to the spread of misinformation, particularly in digital environments. Discussions examined the impact of misleading or inaccurate information on consumer confidence, risk perception and public health, and considered practical approaches to strengthening food safety communication.

Mr Greg Dempsey, Chief Executive, FSAI, highlighted that while digital platforms provide important opportunities for engagement, they also present significant challenges.

“In today’s digital environment, misinformation can spread faster and further than ever before. When it comes to food safety, inaccurate or misleading information can distort risk, create unnecessary fear, and, in some cases, influence behaviours that may put public health at risk. As we navigate an increasingly complex information landscape, it is essential that food safety advice remains firmly grounded in science and communicated in a clear and transparent manner.”

“Addressing misinformation requires sustained effort, collaboration, and a strong commitment to protecting public trust. The FSAI remains committed to ensuring that consumers have access to accurate, evidence-based information to support informed decisions,” added Mr Dempsey.

Contributors also included Professor Ciara Greene, School of Psychology, University College Dublin; Dr Gary McGowan, Doctor, Physiotherapist and Trainer; Jane Ryder, Communications Manager, FSAI; Jill Murphy, Senior Technical Executive, FSAI; Dr Claire Kilty, Head of Research, Irish Cancer Society; Rob Philips, Chief Specialist Environmental Health, FSAI and Gail Carroll, Director of Regulatory Affairs and Compliance Building, FSAI.

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