British multiples will probably increase their share of the Republic's grocery market from 25 per cent to 50 per cent "in the short to medium term", according to a review by Forfas.

The development board's conclusions are contained in documentation released by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment which also says that Tesco has a market share of just under 25 per cent, a year after it acquired the Quinnsworth/Crazy Prices chain.