Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

278. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to provide an update on the work of the retail forum; the number of times the forum has met to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42416/24]

Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Retail Forum, chaired by my colleague, Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Ms Emer Higgins, TD, was established in June 2014 to allow key issues of relevance to the retail sector to be discussed. The Forum supports the identification of practical actions which could be taken by Government, or by industry itself, to support the sector with particular emphasis on achieving sustainable jobs growth in the sector.

Retail Forum meetings are held on a quarterly basis and the three meetings held to date in 2024 were on 27 March, 19 June and 18 September. The final meeting for 2024 is due to be held on 4 December. To date 36 meetings of the Retail Forum have taken place.

The Retail Forum’s annual work programme is co-created and driven by Retail Forum members and includes issues that they have identified as being critical to examine.

The current priorities of the Forum include

• Supporting the sector to deal issues impacting the sector including the cost of doing business and retail crime.
• Addressing relevant policy and legislation impacting on the retail sector.