Mayo Fine Gael TD, John O’Mahony, has called for a fair commercial rates system for small business.
Speaking in the Dáil this week, Deputy O’Mahony stated: “Bigger businesses and the large multinationals can absorb costs more but the small corner shop or small petrol station cannot afford to do that. They are the people we listen to time and again who employ hundreds of thousands of people in this country. We have heard many debates in this Chamber during recent months about how we cannot continue to spend €50 billion and take in only €31 billion. Small businesses are just the same. They are hanging on by their fingertips. There are many small towns like Charlestown, Kiltimagh, Swinford, and Claremorris in my constituency of Mayo where half of the shop units in the centre of those towns have closed during the past three years. It is in everybody's interest to have a rating system that will encourage business to go into those shop units. If rates were set at 100 per cent, 100 per cent of nothing is nothing and that is the issue that must be addressed.
“There were five petrol stations in one of the above towns a few years ago and now there is only one. The publicans were out marching last week and they told us that one pub per day is closing throughout the country. Measures have been taken with regard to employment such as reducing the PRSI rate. It is important to get a sense of balance on that. VAT rates were also reduced and tourism has been boosted as a result of it.
“I agree with many speakers that there needs to be a targeted approach to suit smaller businesses that might employ a few people, because they are not in a position to bulk buy or to drive down their costs as much as the multinational supermarkets. Those are the business units that need to be given an opportunity; they need to be supported in some way and to be helped quickly.
“Numerous businesses and small businesses have contacted me, and I am sure they have every other Deputy, on the kite that has been flown about the issue of the payment of sick pay. There are many kites in the air this weather. The same people who are suffering with the burden of commercial rates will suffer with having to pay the first four weeks of their staff's sick pay if that measure comes in.
“I hope it is a kite and that it will fly away and not appear here in two weeks’ time,” he concluded.
