Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On that point, Clonmel is a prime example of how planners got it all wrong. Everything was moved outside the town and now the town centre is in real trouble. We are trying our best to get money to revitalise it and get businesses up and going again. It is a beautiful town centre but the businesses cannot compete with free parking outside and challenges like that. In fairness to businesses, the majority of them are really good and try to engage with the council. Sometimes they feel the engagement happens but nothing happens on the back of it or they are just not listened to.

Another issue touched on was that of rates. Many councils are challenged in terms of finances at the moment. Some have already put up the property tax but a lot of them will not put it up. It seems the chief executives' next option is to put up rates. That is happening in quite a few local authorities. It seems like madness to me to do this to the sector that is most hit. Everyone is hit by the energy crisis and cost of living but no one has been hit more than businesses and no one in the business sector has been hit more than small businesses in towns. Is this proposal being put forward in every local authority? It seems bonkers to me that we would, at the worst time ever, send a letter to small businesses saying we are increasing their rates by 5% or 10%.