Members of the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) have renewed calls for a dedicated ombudsman to champion small businesses and help them manage ‘overly burdensome’ regulation.
The businesses are also urging the government to tackle retail crime, after a recent RTÉ report revealed a 90% increase in incidents last year.
In letters to Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Peter Burke, and Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, the Fed outlined its concerns.
Martin Mulligan, president of the Fed in Ireland, wrote, ‘The retail market is worth approximately €40 billion each year to the Irish economy employing approximately 200,000 people.
‘Independent retailers play a vital role in Irish society, with its strong tradition of independent retail, and focal point in the villages, towns and cities across the country.
‘However, this has been a challenging period for retailers, with energy and labour costs continuing to skyrocket as well as several ongoing challenges in the form of increased competition from supermarkets no longer restrained by the grocery code.
‘Increased government and EU interventions and regulations are adding to the cost of doing business.
‘This comes at a time of rising concern about retail crime.’
In the letter, Mulligan also mentioned members’ concerns over increasing energy and insurance costs, high bank charges, and falling margins.
He stated that government support was vital to enable the independent retail sector to thrive.
As well as calling for an ombudsman for smaller businesses, the letter stated that more effective police and court action was required, along with better intelligence-sharing, to tackle soaring crime.
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