Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)

Traders are reeling and the retail sector is on its knees. The Government has had a change of heart since the VAT rate was increased by 0.5% a number of years ago. Coupled with its U-turn on upward-only rent reviews, its lack of action on commercial rates and the reduction in the size of the redundancy rebate, this measure will cost rather than generate jobs.

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