Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 26 February 2013

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Action Plan for Jobs 2012 and 2013: Discussion with Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

2:55 pm

Photo of Feargal QuinnFeargal Quinn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and thank him for what he is doing. He obviously is grabbing hold of many challenges. I wish to raise the issue of licensing reform, particularly, but not exclusively, in retail. It appears to me that all big businesses started as small businesses and to have in place the same legislation for licences for someone who employs 500 people as for someone who employs four people simply does not seem capable of being handled. Moreover, I also wish the raise the number of licences that people need, particularly in the retail sector, . While I acknowledge the Minister has touched on the subject, he should provide members with some idea of what he is considering. In France, for instance, a large number of licences do not apply to any entity with fewer than 50 employees. Is European Union legislation forcing Ireland to have so many of these legislative items or is Ireland to an extent free to do some of it itself? While I acknowledge we have some difficulty in handling matters in some areas, it seems to me as though the fewer regulations we have, the more likely it is that someone will set up a business as a one, two or three person business. This is where the big businesses start and is from where the employment comes.

One final point was also touched on by Deputy Calleary, namely, the upward-only rents. I am unsure whether this issue is under the Minister's remit but is there anything that can be done about such rents, particularly in the retail sector? It just seems to be an impossible task. I am told that was the Government's intention when it came into office but that it has been unable to go ahead with it.

Surely even if it does mean changing the Constitution to do that, it must be possible to do something about it because it is a huge problem and it is causing a loss of jobs?

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