John McGahon (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As we approach Christmas, it would be timely to have a debate on the retail sector and how important it is to the Irish economy. Coming from a Border town like Dundalk, I have seen over the years how resilient both the retail sector and consumers have to be.Over the decades we have had to deal with currency fluctuations on both sides of the Border, Covid and Brexit. An example of how we have become very resilient and developed individual ingenuity is the shop local voucher scheme that was initiated by Dundalk Chamber of Commerce five years ago. It was the brainchild of two local business people, Paddy Matthews and Paddy Malone. It started off as a €500 tax-free cash voucher given to businesses to gift to their employees instead of cash at Christmas. The concept was that it was usable in all local shops in Dundalk. What is most important about it is that it is a great way for a business to give tax-free money to its employees and the money goes directly back into the local economy. In each of the past five years, €1 million was raised. We are now in the last days of November and we have already reached €1 million. That figure is expected to reach €1.5 million by the end of the Christmas season. It is a great example of how to make sure money stays in a local economy. Dundalk was the pioneer of this approach. It has now been expanded to one or two other chambers of commerce. It is no longer just about business. We now have grandparents buying these vouchers for their grandchildren. In a year when shopping local is so important it is a great way to keep money in a local economy. It is something that other chambers of commerce throughout the country should consider. The budget for 2023 increased the amount it is possible to gift from €500 to €1,000. It is a great example of how the budget is putting more money into people's pockets. I would appreciate a debate on the Irish retail sector at some stage before Christmas.