Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail)

I thank the Senator. His custom is greatly valued.

The future is very bleak. Sales and turnover are down and costs remains high. I am not talking about the large multiples like Lidl or Aldi. When one of those opens in a town, four or five small businesses close. There is competition which we respect but it is high time we looked at the contribution the retail trade has made to this country in terms of creating employment.

We were all rightly shocked at the news that 1,000 jobs will be lost in Aviva. It is a war of attrition with small shops trying to hold on to their staff. Everything is paid to the minimum. I know of shopkeepers who are taking lightbulbs from their shops to cut down on light and heat.