Ray Butler (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Will the Leader ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to come to the House to tell us what plans he has for retail development in rural Ireland? We all know that the retail sector has changed in rural areas and that many transactions now take place online, but the big issue is planning permission for out-of-town shopping centres and filling stations where parking is free. Paid parking is killing town centres. In many cases it is costing local administration to have machines emptied. Local authorities are talking about privatising the traffic warden service to get rid of that cost. It costs a lot of money to provide parking meters in town centres, but it is having the effect of killing the retail sector as people can avail of free parking spaces in the bigger shopping centres and at filling stations. I call on the Minister to outline his plans for town centres. We have all travelled the country during Seanad election campaigns and have seen the impact of parking charges which are to the detriment of the retail sector. In certain areas there is tumbleweed in the centre of towns because people are not prepared to pay for the luxury of parking to spend ten or 15 minutes purchasing a few items when they can park for free in out-of-town shopping centres or at filling stations. This issue must be examined. Revenue from parking meters has dropped by between 50% and 75% because people are travelling out of town to shop.