Mary White (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I feel passionately the need to maintain the town centres and bring them back to life and in the city to maintain neighbourhood centres. That there should be houses everywhere is boring. For example, in Mount Merrion, Dublin South, a lovely range of small shops is available to the people. At my conference, independent shopkeepers will be invited to speak as well as individuals from larger stores. Retailers will talk to retailers and people who may wish to start up in the business. The challenge to retailing which will not go away is the relentless change in technology, including online shopping and every aspect of technology is introduced into retailing. It is a very serious issue for the retail industry.

I am saddened at the closure of many small shops around the country due to a lack of consumer spending, high rates and high rents. In Britain, there have been a number of reports on the whole issue. It is facing up to the problem and doing something about it and is more advanced than us. We have allowed the problem of dying town centres to continue. It is beyond belief that nothing has been done about it. In her contribution, the Minister of State mentioned the quest to see more people living over the shop. There is a need to look at the changing facilities available in the town centres.

The town centres must innovate.

It is very wrong of the Government to introduce legislation to abolish the town councils. A total of 300 town councillors lost their jobs. The town councils are being abolished when we need them more than ever. If the abolition of town councils was put to the people, does the Minister believe all the people who live in the towns around Ireland would say "Yes"? They would not.