Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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I thank the RGDATA delegation for its presentation. There is no doubt that Irish people appear to be wedded to local shops. There was a meeting last night in Donegal to address the issue of the threatened closure of a local shop in Creeslough. The meeting was attended by over 500 people to express their concerns about the issue and the 40 or 50 jobs at risk. It is important that we maintain, as much as possible, a vital independent sector.

In its presentation RGDATA refers to the code of practice and outlines five points that it is keen to see included. As always, running through this issue is the theme of the competitive landscape and competition. Does RGDATA have any view on the Competition Authority and its role in ensuring there are competitive practices within the retail sector? Does it have any view on how effective or otherwise it may be in policing competition in the sector?

The delegation has outlined the impact of the veil of secrecy on pricing. This is something that should be included in any code of practice. Legislation should be introduced by the Government to ensure all multiples operating in Ireland will be obliged to reveal their turnover and profit levels in order that we can make a fair and equal comparison.