Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----and her story was replicated by many other retailers. She is now starting a campaign to reduce VAT on retail and I support her. There is good precedent; VAT was reduced for the tourism industry. When we reduced the VAT from 13% to 9% for the tourism industry, we kicked off the industry again. Let us do it for the retail sector. These people are contributing. On a good week, she has approximately €200 to €250 to take home. This woman opened her heart to me and said she was ashamed to have to ask her parents sometimes to pay her mortgage. I am at my wits' end. These people are paying rent, rates and VAT, yet they do not have a living wage. We fight in this House for others to have a living wage. Let us give our independent small retailers, who keep our cities and towns alive and create employment, a living wage by reducing the VAT on retail. Galway needs it. Our country needs it.