Ray Butler (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Leader to invite the Minister of State with responsibility for regional economic development, Deputy Michael Ring, to the House for a debate on retail planning in rural Ireland. We have all been on the Seanad campaign and have gone through large towns and villages in rural Ireland where we have seen many shops closed. Local planning authorities give planning permission for out-of-town shopping centres and supermarkets, while the local shopkeeper in the centre of town has to pay rates and insult is added to injury due to parking charges. How can anyone compete when there are 500 free parking spaces on the outskirts of a town? We want people to shop in the centre of town but they have to pay these charges.

This problem arose in England 20 years ago and it devastated towns. Even in bigger towns like Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds, the centres became ghettos because of out-of-town shopping centres.Some 20 years on planning authorities here are granting planning permission for shopping centres. In one town alone I counted 23 shops which had been closed on the main street. Planning authorities in rural Ireland are not taking this on board. They are granting planning permission to multinationals in order that they can draw in massive amounts in rates, while the ordinary shopkeeper who has survived through the recession is struggling. They then charge parking fees outside their doors. We need the Minister, all relevant groups and the local authorities to draw up a plan. From what I saw while travelling around rural Ireland during the Seanad election campaign, all we need now is tumbleweed in certain towns because no business is being conducted. This is happening all over Ireland. I would, therefore, like to see the Minister come into the House and planning authorities in rural Ireland considering this issue which represents a serious problem for retail businesses.