Brian Brennan (Wicklow-Wexford, Fine Gael)

I thank the witnesses for their opening statements. I come from a hospitality background. In my previous life, I had up to 600 people working in the Leinster area. I had a very simple synopsis of business. We had the front door that was getting sales, the back door for organising the costs and then the uncontrollables. On the front door, Ms Burke might be surprised that I want to focus on Dublin first of all. I trained in the Burlington. I have a huge affection for Dublin. It is the first time in 30 years that I am actually almost living here now, with my new position. Last night, I walked from Leinster House to where I am staying at the end of Harcourt Street, and I met 20 people on the road. To me, that was utterly frightening compared with the Dublin I knew 30 years ago. I have a huge fear in relation to what is happening in Dublin. I believe that everything Ms Burke discussed earlier is related to what is going on. If we start at the front door, how can we get more people in there? I know infrastructure is huge. We see all the major restaurants that have closed down,. Even last night, I walked by Shanahan's and all these famous names or whatever. It is not only a premises closing down; that is 20 or 30 jobs gone out of that area as well. If an employer is looking for an employee in Dublin, a simple thing is that they cannot afford childcare. The infrastructure is not there to get transport into the city. There is also the cost of housing. It is everything Ms Burke said earlier.

I also have a huge fear that relates to high streets right across Ireland. The main street of Gorey is booming, thankfully, but the main street of Arklow is not. Without a main street, we will have lost the heart and soul of every single town. What are the witnesses' plans to counteract online shopping versus what is going on with the standard shopper? People came out and made it an occasion to come out. They had a cup of coffee and bought whatever. It does not matter what business people are in, whether they are selling a pint of milk or a jacket in Dunnes Stores, if they are not making margins. My fear is that the margin is getting squeezed from the back door by the cost of energy, insurance, wages and whatever else. All of a sudden, people are going to veer online. The business is going to veer online and the customer is going online. It is a precarious situation at the moment. I am fully aware of and fully behind every measure, but I would love to know the witnesses' suggestions on how to get Dublin revitalised, how to get the main streets of Ireland going again and how we can help in that matter. There is a lot in that; I am sorry.