Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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97. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the measures he will put in place to help the retail sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18664/13]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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104. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the measures he will put in place to help the retail sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18654/13]

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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110. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the key elements of his strategy to help the retail sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18666/13]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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121. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the terms of reference for the proposed Interdepartmental Group to consider further possible measures to assist the retail sector, as per action 309 in Jobs Action Plan for Jobs 2013, the proposed membership of same group; if there will be retailers on the group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18659/13]

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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137. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the key elements of his strategy to help the retail sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18646/13]

John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 97, 104, 110, 121 and 137 together.

I am acutely aware of the importance of the retail sector in the Irish economy. The combined wholesale and retail sector in Ireland employs 273,000 people. The sector also supports employment in other related services, such as transport and logistics. A number of new measures of particular assistance to retail businesses under pressure have been introduced by this Government including: the introduction of the Micro Finance Loan Fund and Credit Guarantee Scheme; reform of wage setting mechanisms and removal from the JLCs of the setting of a Sunday premium; extension of seed capital and employment and investment incentive scheme to the retail sector and reduction of employers PRSI and a low rate of VAT for certain sectors.

In recognising the importance of the retail sector to the economy, the Action Plan for Jobs 2013 contains a number of measures aimed at supporting the sector. These include an initiative to increase the number of small businesses trading on-line and an initiative to streamline business licence application procedures. The retail sector has been chosen to pilot the licencing initiative as it is one of the sectors which requires a multiplicity of licences and where the positive impact of streamlining the application process can be realised fairly quickly. The intention is that an integrated licensing application system, incorporating up to 25 licences in the retail sector, will be developed in 2013. Additionally, the Government has committed to strengthening the Credit Review Office to deal with problems in getting access to finance and integration of local authority business support into a stronger local enterprise office to support the emergence of a better local environment for micro and small businesses.

The Government has also committed, in the Action Plan for Jobs, to establishing an Interdepartmental Group to undertake a short examination of further possible measures to assist the retail sector, which could, for example, be considered in the context of the Budget or the 2014 Action Plan for Jobs. The Group will comprise key Government Departments and will consult with relevant stakeholders across the retail sector as part of its work. The composition of the Group is currently under consideration by officials in my Department. The Terms of Reference for the Group will be agreed by the Group at its first meeting, which is due to take place in the 2nd quarter of 2013.