Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State is in government now. Businesses are suffering. The Minister of State sought proposals and I am making them. First, the Government must review and amend how valuations and rates are charged. If, according to the advice of the Attorney General, it is necessary to introduce a constitutional amendment to bring about the abolition of upward-only rent reviews then the Government should do so.

The Government must change the parking charges structure to encourage people into town centres. It must look at the building usage strategy and develop an initiative to encourage people to take on empty shops. We must change the planning laws to encourage town centre development. That should be done.

We were fortunate that the town of Mullingar did not allow large shopping centres on the outskirts of the town because when that happened it had a detrimental effect on town centres. I acknowledge that mistakes were made but two wrongs do not make a right. We must learn from the mistakes and support businesses which find the situation difficult. Family businesses that are providing employment for up to ten people must be supported. The biggest costs such businesses are facing at the moment are costs that are controlled by the Government, namely, rates, upward-only rent reviews and energy costs. All I ask is that those matters would be given the priority they deserve in the coming months because the people affected deserve support.

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