Barry Ward (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit chuig an Teach. Is dócha gurb é seo an chéad uair a chonaic mé sa Teach é ón am a cheapadh sa phost nua é. Mar sin, déanaim comhghairdeas leis freisin.

The Minister of State will be very aware of the "Prime Time" programme earlier this week which covered the abuse, harassment, racial attacks, shoplifting and general crime being perpetrated against retail workers in Ireland. Anyone who saw the programme will have been shocked by the kind of conduct that seems to be de rigueurfor workers in shops, petrol stations etc. throughout Ireland. It was with great dismay that we saw that happening. Some of us will have even witnessed that kind of behaviour ourselves. I tabled this Commencement matter specifically for the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment because I know this affects the Minister of State in his role with responsibility for the retail sector.

I also recognise the enormous role played by Tara Buckley from RGDATA representing the small retailers and grocers around the country who are at the front line of this kind of behaviour. It has conducted surveys with its own members showing that 95% of them have been the victims of crime and 93% of them have been the victims of shoplifting. I know the Minister of State is part of the retail theft forum also involving the Garda. The Garda's own figures have shown a 41% increase in this kind of behaviour. Shopkeepers have said this grew during the pandemic and has not abated after the fact. It will have an enormous impact on the ability of retail shops to provide an essential service for local communities.

I have frequently complained that since the pandemic we have not opened up the evenings in particular. It is difficult to get a pint of milk after 9 p.m. anywhere in the country. Equally fast food outlets and restaurants are closing earlier than they would have before the pandemic. That will affect us on an economic level but it is also crippling for the night-time economy. The likelihood that somebody who owns a small shop will open later when faced with a greater difficulty in dealing with antisocial behaviour and the harassment we saw in that programme is considerably reduced, which is a retrograde step.

What is the Government doing to address these issues? Is the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment working with the other Departments to put in place measures to ensure shopkeepers can feel safe? This ranges from serious criminal activity, such as armed assaults involving knives and other weapons to shoplifting, the costs of which ultimately will be passed on to the consumer because retailers cannot continue to bear the burden of lost stock. It also involves harassment, abuse, antisocial behaviour and racial harassment. This week, not before time, the national action plan against racism was published.

These are serious issues. I know the Government is serious about tackling them. I ask the Minister of State to outline the provisions he wants to see put in place to address these issues to reassure shopkeepers that we value the role they play in society. To show we value the service they provide to towns, villages and communities throughout the country, we need to address the issues raised in the course of that programme by Tara Buckley and others on behalf of the people they represent.