Retail Excellence has launched a Cross Party Oireachtas Group on Retail in Leinster House.
According to recent statement the all-party group, is chaired by Fianna Fail TD Dara Calleary and is comprised of members from the main parties and from both Houses of the Oireachtas to include James Lawless TD FF, Declan Breathnach TD FF, Anne Rabbitte TD FF, Aidan Davitt Senator FF, Jan O’Sullivan TD Lab, Alan Kelly TD Lab, Maria Byrne Senator FG, Paudie Coffey Senator FG, Joe Carey FG TD, Neale Richmond Senator FG, Noel Grealish TD IND, Gerry Craughwell Senator IND, Maurice Quinlivan TD SF.
The core objective of the group is 'to ensure that the significance of the retail industry is asserted and that future Budgets are framed with retail interests in mind to help protect and strengthen the largest private industry employer in Ireland (282,000 employees) which contributes e7 billion per annum to the Excheque'.
Retail Excellence will be the secretariat for the group, through which Oireachtas members will gain access to the most pressing issues facing the industry and hear directly from industry leaders.
“Retail is a limb of the economy which fails to get the recognition it deserves despite the pivotal role it plays in every village, town and city in Ireland in keeping 282,000 employed and keeping town centres vibrant," said Lorraine Higgins, deputy CEO of Retail Excellence.
"All of which is being threatened by cheap imports from outside the EU with VAT and duties not factored into prices, increasing cross-border spend, increasing business costs along with a plethora of other issues which need to be urgently addressed. The intention of this Group is to ensure future policies and budgets are framed with retail focused solutions so the industry is better supported given its significance.”
The retail representative body recently confirmed that it has won the bid to host delegates from thirty countries across six continents at the mid-year meeting of the Global Retail Council.
The meeting will be hosted at Retail Excellence Annual Conference at the Retail Retreat at Citywest Hotel on 15 and 16 May.
© 2018 - Checkout Magazine by Donna Ahern
