Anne Rabbitte (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister is very welcome. I am delighted he was here to hear the entire debate. I am delighted to speak in support of the Bill and to commend Senator Fitzpatrick, who has introduced it today. The conversation so far has been very open and engaging. It also widened my perspective as to other pieces that may be within the Minister's grasp to include within the cusp of the Bill. In rural Ireland, as my colleague from Roscommon said, the local shop is where our children get their first job. The local SuperValu or Gala filling station will give the child an opportunity to learn about sales and interaction with people. It is the money that sends our children to college. Sometimes I think shops in rural Ireland play a huge role supporting families in getting education all the way through. The recruitment and retention opportunities that these employers provide for parents but also for the young people are phenomenal.

As my colleague Senator Comyn has said, something changed after Covid. I think people got a little bit sharper in their approach. When we send our children out to work for their first opportunity, we do not expect them to become the fall-guys for abuse. No employer, none of the shop owners, wishes to put people in the way of that experience. That is why this Bill is so essential. It is essential to protect and respect the employer and the staff. That is why I welcome this real opportunity to set down a clear marker and message that attacking a retail worker is not a minor offence but a serious crime. We also need greater Garda visibility in retail areas, stronger employer supports, and a cultural shift to recognise and respect the vital role that workers and the employers play in our community.

Earlier today I was talking to Senator Alison Comyn from Drogheda about her high street. She said an exercise was done where the local Garda put the van outside a shop on the main street, and shoplifting went down by 60%. That is what my local SuperValu and Gala stations are telling me, that they do not take on the crime, because where will it go? The other side of it is that when you live in the community, you are open to victimisation if you take on somebody and you could be open to the defamation piece of it. Communities are very small. People walking down the street, having challenged somebody, could lose trade. We are trying to keep our businesses open. Let us consider the online market. We are trying to keep local clothes and shoe shops open. I saw a report on "Crimecall" the other night about a case where somebody went into a shop and walked out with two pairs of runners very easily. It was captured on video but there is probably very little follow-up on that. I again commend Senator Fitzpatrick, and thank her for bringing this forward and giving us the opportunity to speak. I have two children. A local supermarket gave them independence and a first opportunity to meet people. It has played a pivotal role in sculpting my children into the people they are and how they engage with everybody.