Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. Traditional main streets and traditional shopping streets are really under pressure around Ireland. Whether it is in small towns and rural towns around the country or whether it is in places such as Henry Street here in Dublin, we now see a growing issue of vacancy on main streets and on traditional shopping streets. That is really for two reasons. One is the move online. Many more people are shopping online and that will not change. It is also because of the development of large shopping centres, which are not going to go away.

I agree we need to do something that helps to reinvigorate our main streets, bring them back to life, put more people living in them, and adapt buildings and renovate them. We need to make sure it is something that is sustainable. We will not be able to go back to the way it was. Online shopping and shopping centres are a reality but perhaps there are things we can do to bring those buildings and those old shops back into use and thus make our town centres and our main streets attractive places again.

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