The deputy leader of Fianna Fail, Ms Mary O'Rourke, has called on the Government to establish a monitoring mechanism to ensure that Tesco adheres to various undertakings it has given regarding suppliers and distributors to Quinnsworth.

The £630 million takeover of the Quinnsworth/ Crazy Prices chain is awaiting approval from the EU Commission. Ms O'Rourke met the Competition Directorate chief, Mr Karel van Miert in Brussels earlier this week to outline her concerns about the deal. She said that Mr van Miert appeared to have a very good understanding of the deal and had taken a great interest in the retail scene in Ireland.

She said the Government should establish a monitoring system, which would be independent of the Government and the retail trade, to ensure that Tesco's pledges were fully implemented.