Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent) | Oireachtas source

To be clear, I do not know if it was the Wicklow local enterprise office that the person called. I asked the person to ring an LEO as a test to see how he would get on. The message I got back was that it was not working. At least, in some places it is not working but it is a great initiative. Maybe people should be hired to do a quick outside-in, like a mystery shopper, to report back to the Minister. In that way we could see whether it is working, as well as who is doing well or not.

The Minister might consider commissioning a consultation with local businesses, which would be useful. I am hearing repeatedly from local businesses in Wicklow - and I imagine that many other Deputies are hearing it in their own constituencies - that interactions with local authorities could be improved. For example, when a local authority shuts down the water supply in a town, it does not forewarn businesses using that water. The same applies to major road works because the council does not tell local businesses in advance.

In some areas, it seems that LEOs could be better. Will the Minister consider undertaking an analysis of interaction between local authorities and local businesses, from the latter's perspective? In that way, we could see what is working and what could be shared.

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