James Bannon (Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister for clarifying this amendment. Business improvement districts comprise a working partnership formed between businesses, ratepayers, property owners, tenants, residents and local authorities. It is important that all parties come on board. It is of little use if 80% of those involved co-operate but an absentee landlord, for example, does not.

Will the Minister assure the House that no additional charges or expenses associated with these proposals will be imposed on the ratepayers of a particular district, area or town? Ratepayers are already hard pressed as a consequence of existing legislation. Laws on drink driving and so on are important but they mean that people are more curtailed than they were in the past. Many people in rural areas, for example, no longer drive to the nearest town for a drink because of the random breath-testing measures. Some are even afraid to drive their car the next morning. As a result, many business people, especially publicans, find their coffers are not swelled to the same extent as heretofore. The mindset change on the part of the public means we will see many pubs coming up for sale after Christmas.

Ratepayers make payments based on the valuation of their premises. Something should be done for those businesses whose income has dropped appreciably. A scheme is in place in County Longford, for instance, where a reduction is given to those who can prove they are not making the same profit they did in the past or that the income from their business is substantially reduced. With increasing numbers of superstores appearing in major towns and cities, many people in rural areas prefer to travel rather than shop locally. I encourage people to shop locally at Christmas and support local businesses in rural areas. They are part of the fabric of rural communities and are deserving of support. Shopping in superstores does not necessarily result in savings for consumers because they may end up making purchases they neither need nor want. The Government should encourage measures that ensure everyone has a fair slice of the cake.