Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I raise the concerns I have around the closing down of retail businesses, particularly in Mayo. The Minister of State will be very familiar with it. When I walk down American Street in Belmullet or some of the streets in Ballina, Castlebar and other areas, I see that many businesses are shut down. That speaks to me of the disconnect. We are not connecting up. The bureaucracy and red tape around various schemes often means that people cannot access them. Obviously, there is the impact of the cost of living as well. People just do not have enough money in their pockets to be able to spend, so the footfall is reduced. I do not think it is good enough just to highlight the issue of insurance. The Government has to bring in policies that are going to impact directly on insurance costs by reducing them, but it must also examine rates, which are absolutely crippling a lot of small businesses and retail businesses across Mayo.

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