Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank all the witnesses for joining us today, the submissions they made to the committee and the work they do every day. They provide valued services in all of our communities, and I am delighted to be here.

My colleagues Deputies McCormack and Dolan will both be returning later. On a day like today, there is a lot of coming and going and we do not mean, in any way, to be disrespectful. Both the Dáil and Seanad are sitting, as are other committees.

I thank Ms Buckley for her contribution on behalf of RGDATA. As she knows, we absolutely accept the issue around crime and the cost of crime in the retail space. Hospitality suffers from it as well, as do small businesses generally. I thank her for her engagement with the Minister's task force on retail crime. It is absolutely acknowledged by the Government that crime must be a top priority. The Minister for justice is committed to trying to address retail crime through the forum and RGDATA's engagement in that is very important. The recruitment of extra gardaí, the creation of more prison spaces and enforcement of the laws and consequences for people's actions are part of that. Ms Buckley can take that as read.

I would like to give Ms O'Meara and Mr. Broderick an opportunity to speak. Both of them have taken time out from their shops to come here today and we want to hear from them about their experience. Costs are obviously a big issue, if not the biggest issue. In real terms, in their daily and weekly business lives, what are the biggest costs? What are the most frustrating? What actions have they taken? Where do they see Government policy being able to help to ease that to ensure that their businesses are sustainable into the future? No different from restaurants, their shops are unique to our culture. They are what makes Ireland a destination for tourism but also for businesses to set up and for people to live.