Mary Ann O'Brien (Independent)

I draw the House's attention to new plans unveiled yesterday by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government that drew little or no attention from the media. I send a note of caution to Government officials to the effect that, while chasing big business and investment is important, it must not be done to the detriment of small local businesses.

Under the Department's new planning guidelines, larger supermarkets and superstores will be allowed to be built in Dublin and the country's largest cities. The new guidelines relax the caps on shop spaces imposed by the 2005 guidelines. The new floor space rules mean that new shops and extensions on existing premises can avail of the increased limits. The guidelines state that the cap on floor space in the four Dublin local authority areas is being raised from 3,500 sq. m, the size of a large factory, to 4,000 sq. m. In the cities of Cork, Galway, Waterford and Limerick, the cap will increase from 3,000 sq. m to 3,500 sq. m.

It is widely rumoured that the aim of the changes is to attract American hypermarkets such as Walmart and Costco. It is more likely to attract UK retailers like Asda, which is owned by Walmart. Sainsbury's could now establish itself in Ireland.

Despite the relaxation, the new guidelines state that there should be a presumption against the further development of retail parks outside towns. The number of retail parks has grown substantially in the past decade. For example, little England exists outside Portlaoise. Senator O'Donnell did a radio piece on the subject. This could result in the closure of additional small, independent, Irish, local retailers, which are often run by families. These businesses are the heart and soul of our country.