Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Nevin Economic Research Institute has indicated 30,000 jobs have been lost in the retail and wholesale sectors in recent years and the knock-on effect of these losses in local areas has been greater than this. Some parts of the State and some retail sectors have experienced a lift in recent months, but the main streets of many provincial towns have a significant number of shops boarded up. Many retailers are struggling with a number of issues on which the Government could focus, including upward-only rents. These have been mentioned in the House on many occasions and will be mentioned again because as long as businesses are forced to pay uncompetitive rents, the issue must be raised in the House. The Government has stated it cannot act on it, but I urge it to show the information received from the Attorney General in this regard. It is stated governments do not do so but on occasion I have seen other governments detail Attorney General evidence.

The cost of energy is crippling. I know of a bar which pays an electricity bill of €2,000 every month which makes it very difficult to operate. We have urged the Government to introduce progressive rates which would take at least some consideration of the profitability of a business. Will the development of the new small enterprise sector allow for a level of grant funding for the retail sector? I understand displacement is a problem in this area. Will further funding supports be available for the retail sector in the shake-up of enterprise development?

See this speech in context