Áine Collins (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome everyone here. I wish to raise a few issues. First, rates are a concern for every small business in the country. We have discussed this matter a lot. The challenge is that if we increase it by 1% it is of little benefit to a small business, so we must work out what percentage works best. A lot of work has been done on the matter and consideration has also been given to profit margins, turnover and other challenges. The commission that sets the rates has examined the matter for the past year and is due to report very soon. I empathise with the delegation and know that rates are a huge problem throughout the country, especially for small businesses.

The second issue I wish to raise is that of below-cost selling. Is the delegation aware of what the Minister for Finance said recently about below-cost selling? A case with regard to below-cost selling in Scotland was taken to the European Court. The Attorney General has said that legislation cannot be introduced due to the case pending. If legislation were introduced now we could not implement it until a decision is reached on the court case in Europe. If the decision is favourable, the Minister has said that he would have no problem changing the provision in order to prevent below-cost selling. I would like to hear the views of the delegation on the matter.