Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

The Minister, who represents the constituency of Dún Laoghaire, will be acutely aware of the pressure on small and medium enterprises in Dún Laoghaire town and the huge number of businesses that have closed, leaving many shops vacant, which is a picture that is probably repeated in many towns around the country. While there are many factors involved, the most significant is the impact of large multinational retail chains on small business.

Has the Government considered the introduction of a progressive rates system which essentially gives a break to small and medium enterprise and gives them a leg up in terms of the competition they face from large multinational companies? This is commonplace in places like France, Scotland and elsewhere.

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