Independent retailers in the Irish Republic are keeping up the pressure for the Restrictive Practices (Groceries) Order -­ which bans below cost selling on certain food products ­ to be retained. The Competition Authority wants abolition to help free up the economy while trade minister Mary Harney wants lower prices to help fight inflation. But Ailish Forde of the small retailers' association RGDATA insisted: "It is not food that's driving inflation." Inflation on food is currently just 0.7%, against the general figure of 5.5%. Abolition would not make food cheaper, she claimed: "Products covered have not increased as much as those not covered. If supermarkets wanted to sell below cost on uncovered products, they could but don't." {{NEWS }}