07 August 2013

Focussed retail strategy must be a priority

Fianna Fáil TD for Longford/Westmeath, Robert Troy TD, has expressed his deep concern with the news that the Mullingar Marks and Spencer store is to close.

“My thoughts are with the staff at Marks and Spencer in Mullingar and their families at this difficult and challenging time,” said Deputy Troy.

“We have already seen the B&Q in Westmeath go into examinership this year and in the meantime there has been discernible effort form the Government to address the issues that the company and other retailers raised at the time. Questions must be asked at how a profitable multi-national company would choose to close its doors in Mullingar.

“Fianna Fáil has repeatedly called for the Government to implement a focussed retail strategy to tackle this issue but Minister Richard Bruton has continuously failed to recognise the extent of the crisis that is facing the sector. Countless independent retailers are struggling to survive and they are not getting the support they deserve from Government. We need to see the abolition of upward only rent reviews and the issue of rates also needs to be tackled, energy costs are also consistently increasing under this government’s watch.

“There are 300,000 people employed in the retail sector in Ireland and every effort must be made to develop a strategy to protect these jobs. The Government continues to bury its head in the sand and as long as they do so, more and more retailers throughout Longford ad Westmeath will be forced to close.”