Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)

When this was run by the Bundestag some weeks ago to get approval, I thought the Government would have other proposals to soften the blow of the 2% rise in VAT for the retail sector, which might involve a proposal on upward only rent reviews, but I discovered a complete volte face on rent reviews. The Tánaiste had a crusade on the issue of retail and the need to protect vulnerable retail outlets. This will have a devastating impact on the retail sector. People have a brass neck to come in here without highlighting that there was a massive U-turn on upward only rent reviews. It is quite amazing that the Government slipped this through and said that NAMA might oblige. Will there be publication of the legal advice received by the Government? When the Government parties were on this side of the House, they consistently asked for the publication of legal advice to the Government of the day. Now that they are on the other side of the House, they can publish the legal advice received with regard to the U-turn on upward only rent reviews. This goes to the heart of credibility of any Government presenting a budget that can be accepted by groups of people. The Government parties campaigned with Retail Excellence Ireland and were hugging shopkeepers from one end of the country to the other, promising there would be a change to the upward only rent review.

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