THE Equal Status Bill due to be introduced this year will sound a death knell for many small business, according to the Small Firms Association.

Under the terms of the proposed bill, shops, pubs and restaurants will not be able to refuse service or admission to someone unless they have a reason.

Such a law will encourage wide spread litigation and the compo culture", according to Ms Lorraine Sweeney, the chairperson of the organisation. Certain businesses will be forced to serve troublemakers and some small firms will be driven out of business, she predicted.

In attempting to deal with one problem, the Government will be creating several more, said Ms Sweeney, in a statement published at the weekend.

"One would have to question whether our legislators have any understanding of the problems already encountered by someone running a small business in the main streets of our cities and towns if they had an understanding, then this legislation would be dropped," according to Ms Sweeney.