Jobs Committee launches key report on business growth & job creation in towns & villages

26th March 2015

In its report, the Committee outlines submissions made to the Committee during its hearings and makes key policy recommendations on creating and retaining employment across Irish towns and villages. Some of the report’s recommendations include:

• Local authorities should consider rate reductions for small, independent businesses in town and city centres.
• That action is taken to relieve businesses of the burden of the Upward Only Rent provision which is suffocating many struggling businesses at present.
• Continued dialogue between Government and pillar banks on charges being levied on small and medium businesses for banking services.
• Tourism bodies should strongly market Irish towns and cities as shopping destinations.
• The wide-spread roll-out of the Town Teams model, as advocated by Retail Excellence Ireland, to bring joined-up thinking, management and co-operation to our town centres involving LEOs, Chambers of Commerce and other local stakeholders.
• Free parking periods for several hours a day in town and village centres is an important measure that should be considered by local authorities.
• A wider use of strategic policing operations in urban and town centres to create a safer environment for consumers and businesses to operate in.

Committee Chair, Marcella Corcoran-Kennedy, TD, said: “Job creation and retention at a local and rural level is one of the key issues facing towns and villages across Ireland. It is vital that we formulate the necessary policies and legislation to best support local business. Growth and job creation at a local level contributes not only to community economies by bringing growth and innovation to the area, but it also supports our national recovery.”

“In June, July and September 2014, the Committee held a very productive and informative series of meetings with interested parties and stakeholders in order to discuss the range of issues to do with encouraging businesses to thrive in town and village centres. This report is based on those hearings and makes 15 recommendations that we believe merit consideration by the Government in future deliberations of this issue. The Committee would like to thank all those who appeared before it during the course of our hearings and we look forward to engaging with the Minister on this subject in the future.”

Deputy John Lyons, TD, acted as the Rapporteur for the Committee in the production of this report. Deputy Lyons says: “This report offers very practical solutions to bring life back into our towns and villages which have suffered greatly from the economic downturn. It is often small policy changes that can have the biggest impact. I believe this report, which has cross-party support, can do exactly that. \"

The report can be accessed here.

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Committee Membership:

Chair: Marcella Corcoran-Kennedy (Fine Gael)

Deputies:     
Dara Calleary (Fianna Fáil); Áine Collins (Fine Gael); Michael Conaghan (Labour); Seán Kyne (Fine Gael); Anthony Lawlor     (Fine Gael); John Lyons (Labour);  Peadar Tóibín (Sinn Féin); Mick Wallace (Independent)

Senators:     
David Cullinane (Sinn Féin); John Kelly (Labour); Michael Mullins (Fine Gael); Hildegarde Naughton (Fine Gael); Feargal Quinn (Independent);  Mary White (Fianna Fáil)