Ray Butler (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would like the Minister for local government to come to the House. I spoke at length recently about paid parking in towns and villages, out-of-town shopping centres, and giving planning permission for out-of-town shopping centres and filling stations. As far as I can see, it is unfair competition for those who are trying to run their businesses in the centre of towns and it is to the detriment of the centre of towns. As I stated previously, they made the same mistake in England 15 or 20 years ago where it ruined the inner cities of Manchester and London. We are putting shopping centres on the outskirts of big towns and villages and I have no problem with these coming along. I note Aldi and Lidl are planning extensions. I have no problem with them, but we have to think of the traders in the middle of these towns and villages who have customers coming to their shops who have to pay anything from €1 to €2 for the privilege. Then these traders are paying high rates. I have a simple way of solving this problem. If the local authority gives planning permission for out-of-town shopping centres or out-of-town filling stations, they should scrap the parking charges - it is unfair competition - and let the multiple that is coming in subsidise the paid parking in the middle of the town. That is the way they do it in England. We need a debate on this issue or we will close down rural Ireland and the centre of small towns and villages.