Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)

I welcome the announcement by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation that he intends to introduce legally binding rules governing the interaction of retailers and suppliers. We are all aware of the allegations in the past of bullying, coercion and how a number of suppliers have been totally beholden to some of the larger multiples in particular. I hope it will finally end the practice of so-called hello money and possibly under the counter payments and so on.

Allied to that I welcome the announcement by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government on retail planning guidelines to protect the streets of our towns. He made some interesting comments when he talked about the intention to amalgamate Limerick City Council and Limerick County Council, referring to some of the disastrous planning decisions that have decimated the streets of that city with regard to shopping. I hope it will lead to more effective decisions in the future. The management in many local authorities have much to answer for over the difficulties so many of our towns are suffering in that regard. I ask the Deputy Leader to invite either or both of those Ministers to come to the House to debate those issues, which are of such concern to the future of our towns.