Linda Nelson Murray (Fine Gael)

On behalf of the Fine Gael Party, I congratulate the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, on his new role as managing director of the World Bank. He said in his speech that it had been the greatest of honours to be a politician in this country. It certainly has been the greatest of honours for me and many people in my party to have worked alongside Paschal Donohoe. He has been a politician for the past 20 years, during which time he was a Member of Seanad Éireann. He is somebody we absolutely admire. During all my canvassing, he was out with me, and I am sure he did the same for everybody else who asked him. He always gave of his time. I wish him very well in his future endeavours.

There is a detrimental impact on small businesses arising from roadworks associated with new roads and implementation of town plans, particularly in retail parks and on main streets. Having raised this issue previously, it really now is time for the Departments of enterprise and local government to work together to find some solution to help businesses through the very difficult time when there are roadworks outside their door, when a new road is being put into a town or other work is being done. I have always said there should be a pause or discount on rates when this happens. Rates are a very valuable source of income for local government and one on which councils depend. However, businesses have reported sales down by 30%, 40% or 50% when works are being done outside their door.

In my home town, the Navan 2030 plan is under way. It is fantastic and the town is looking really well. However, as I have raised previously, sometimes replacing car park spaces with lovely shrubbery may not be the right answer. Some businesses have closed. I previously mentioned a business on Watergate Street that closed after 39 years. This was the straw that broke the camel's back, with traffic coming in and out of the town. In the past three weeks, a brand-new road has opened. The council has done a great job and it will make a difference in the future. Right now, however, trying to co-ordinate the lights means traffic is at a standstill at weekends the whole way from the Dublin Road, right into Navan and out along the Kells Road. Nobody is coming into the town and into the businesses in the retail park, especially, and the town centre.

We must think about the impact on businesses when works are being done. Great work is being done on the fabulous new roads and the fabulous shrubbery and landscapes but it must be done with a co-ordinated approach that considers the impact on businesses. If it does impact them, consideration must be given to how they can be supported during that time. Right now, businesses are not supported when roadworks are happening outside their door. There is no support for them when new roads are being built. It is about time they were supported. I ask that this issue be raised with the Ministers.