Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Over 40,000 jobs have been lost in the retail sector since 2008 which shows that there is a direct link between the reduction in disposable income and job losses in the domestic economy. It is not a phenomenon that is peculiar to Ireland. Austerity has had a massive impact on the level of youth unemployment across Europe. The retail sector has traditionally been a great outlet for young people to start off in jobs. There was a time when it also provided a secondary job for many women. It is now becoming a primary occupation and source of income for many households. Will the Minister admit that as long as austerity continues, it will be difficult for the retail sector to recover and job losses to be reversed?

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