Seanad debates

Friday, 27 March 2015

10:30 am

Photo of Paschal MooneyPaschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I want to bring to the attention of the Leader and the House a 15-point plan which has been published by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation under the chairmanship of the Leader's party colleague, Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy. This 15-point plan would, if many of its proposals were implemented, point the way to reviving the economic life of towns and villages across Ireland. The plan contains many positive proposals which can be implemented if the goodwill exists to do so. Two of the points, if implemented, would go a long way to helping small to medium-size businesses in towns and villages specifically on the question of commercial rates, which are crippling many such businesses.

I was astonished to discover that while some €6 billion of Irish consumers' money is spent purchasing online, only 23% of small businesses have a digital platform. That is extraordinary in a country that prides itself on being at the cutting edge of technological innovation. I am putting this in context to ask that the Leader might consider having the 15-point plan discussed here after the Easter recess. One would presume it would be the Department of the Minister, Deputy Bruton, that would be responsible, although the Leader can check.

I raise also the ongoing negotiations on the transatlantic trade and investment partnership, TTIP, regarding international trade. I understand one of the leading representatives of the European Union has been in Dublin in recent days. This has highlighted this issue and that if implemented and if the compromises are all agreed in the trading area, it would lead to the freeing up of much of the bureaucracy surrounding business. Perhaps the two issues could be put together, but the 15-point plan put forward by the Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation is very worthy of debate, particularly as this House would be representative of both the urban and rural environment.Many of us from rural Ireland would welcome the opportunity to tease out the proposals and get a response from Government as to how it judges, assesses and evaluates this and whether it will implement it. There is not much point in having a report gathering dust on the shelf. It needs to be implemented and there are areas of it that can be implemented very quickly.

One final point I wish to make in this context is on the introduction of free parking at particular times of the day across towns, villages and cities. That can be implemented almost overnight and would go a long way to helping businesses in the centre of towns and villages. Every town, particularly large towns, has been affected by the location of multinational supermarkets and out-of-town retail parks which are strangling the life out of the traditional town centres. There is most definitely a need to address that issue.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.