Mr. Joe Sweeney:

As a retailer I do not appreciate anything that restricts people coming into a shop and spending money. I get annoyed every time I see the cutbacks to people's income being made in the budget. I regard it as €1 lost to my shop. I do not believe it would have a noticeable effect in that way. The multiples can well afford it, and I am not specifically targeting supermarkets. It applies to any large business. It might be a manufacturer or any large company over a certain size with a certain turnover. In the North of Ireland the rate of the levy is 8.5%. It may be nothing like that here in the Republic because we have a bigger catchment of companies to target. I do not believe it would be a noticeable cost increase to large companies to the effect that it would affect the housewife. I will continue lobbying for it.