Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I might be finished already if I had been allowed to speak in the first place.

There is no denying that small and medium-sized towns have taken a full-body hit, especially in the past five years, as other speakers have outlined in detail. Decisive action must be taken, and I hope it will be. I commend the two Senators who have spearheaded this issue, which I have done some work on in recent weeks. Many town centres - once the heart and soul of Irish communities - are continuing to slide rapidly into decline. That is well documented and beyond debate. The location of branches of large supermarket chains on the fringes of almost every town, boasting convenient free parking, have drawn large numbers away from town centres. My home town of Claremorris is a good example of this, with people from the hinterland and from other towns coming to shop in the large multinational outlet on the outskirts. Even the layout of the facility's car park serves to discourage people from going into Claremorris itself. The requirement to turn left or right, as appropriate, when negotiating the car park, means most people leave without going anywhere near the town centre. That facility is essentially sucking the life out of the place.

I have referred on previous occasions to the system introduced in the North, and referred to colloquially as the multinational tax, whereby larger retailers pay more in terms of rates and so on. It is a rather complex process, but I have asked the Minister for Finance to give it serious consideration. It seems to be working very well north of the Border. An ever decreasing level of footfall is leaving many indigenous businesses desperately struggling to survive. We urgently need to revitalise town centres and make them more attractive places in which to socialise. As Senator Ivana Bacik and the Minister of State both observed, they must become places where people actually live. The planning system was at fault to a large degree for the problems that exist in this regard. Dublin city is a prime example of a location in which large numbers of apartment blocks in which families could not possibly live were thrown up. The reality is that people simply will not choose to live in a city or town centre if they cannot access appropriate accommodation. There is work for the Government to do in encouraging and facilitating people in doing so.

Another incentive that might help to revitalise town centres would be to give mayors more responsibility and a greater incentive to make towns vibrant places in which festivals take place, markets are held and so on. Such initiatives help to bring people back into the towns. The town centre should be a place where people want to go regularly to meet other people, do business and engage in social activities, even if they are not necessarily shopping there first. In France, mayors are given the responsibility of encouraging that type of activity. In fact, it is fundamentally a matter for local government. If mayors were elected on the basis that they had to deliver targets in terms of increasing footfall in town centres and the amount of business transacted there, it might lead to a larger movement of people into smaller towns.

We should aspire to progressive measures when it comes to parking. Other speakers referred to the possibility of free parking provision at peak times, which would make a crucial difference. Ideally the first hour would be free of charge, but I take on board the Minister of State's point regarding differences between towns and the balancing act that is required. However, we must look to simple innovative ideas such as these if we are to get towns moving. In New Zealand, for example, various initiatives are taking the stress and cost out of parking by making it more available and more enticing for shoppers. One such measure is a coupon system which offers free parking spaces close to town centres for the first two hours and free spaces in more strategic locations, such as outside the post office, for 15 minutes. Another possibility would be to charge adjusted rates in car parks belonging to large supermarkets such as Aldi, Lidl and Tesco, with the additional revenue going back to the local authority to assist in town centre rejuvenation. I accept this might not be as straightforward as it seems, given that most of these facilities are located on private property, but it is something that should be considered.

The reopening and re-letting of derelict properties in town centres should also be encouraged. There is scope to adopt programmes to promote town centres, main street revamps and regeneration of shop facades and signage. Priority should be given to tackling anti-social behaviour in small towns, which will make them more attractive as places in which to spend time and to live. Initiatives such as local-authority-funded family entertainment in town centres on Saturdays would also help to increase footfall and thus encourage shopping. Again, there could be a role for mayors in this regard, as is the case in France. Rates and rents which suffocate small businesses in towns throughout Ireland must also be tackled. Local authorities are slowly coming to terms with that situation.

It is high time we generated new ideas and considered adopting those that are working abroad. That is essential if we are to breathe life back into our town centres. I thank the Labour Party Senators for raising this issue and the Minister of State for taking the debate.