Retail Ireland seeks 20% rates cut

RETAIL IRELAND, a group affiliated to employers’ lobby organisation Ibec, has called on local authorities to cut commercial rates when they come to vote on the topic this month.

The retailers’ body has written to the chairperson of every local authority as well as all city and county managers to ask for a reduction of 20 per cent.

The group has also written to the Taoiseach and Opposition leaders to request that their councillors support the calls, which come as retailers look set for their worst Christmas in several years.

Retail Ireland director Torlach Denihan said 30,000 retail jobs had been lost over the past 12 months and the sector was “struggling to avoid further redundancies” over the coming months.

“Over the last decade, local authorities have been able to fund many projects through development levies and commercial rates paid by the retail sector,” he said.

“They now need to act responsibly and help the sector retain employment in view of the threat posed by the collapse in sales, aggravated by cross-Border shopping.”

Some retailers are already facing increases in rates of up to 50 per cent as a result of revaluation exercises in South Dublin and Fingal, Mr Denihan added.

The latest data for the retail sector from the Central Statistics Office show that the volume of retail sales fell 10 per cent in the year to September, but the value of sales – the price paid for the goods – plunged almost 15 per cent, indicating the extent to which retailers have been cutting prices.