We the undersigned market and street traders, appeal to the Minister to immediately effect an official review into the manner in which we as a nation, plan and manage our retail markets.
|
Ireland has no national coordinated policy regarding standards and management of retail markets. |
|
|
|
The 1995 Casual Trading Act has been adjudged 'unsatisfactory' by the Competition Authority. |
|
|
|
Market trading rights and their enforcement vary greatly, depending on the relevant local authority; with some authorities allocating management of street markets to the local traffic warden. |
|
|
|
The current trend towards the proliferation of "farmers markets" has resulted in what many see as an unregulated entrpreneurial free-for-all. |
|
|
|
We are in a recession which demands that we as a society investigate new avenues of generating employment and income. |
|
|
|
There is a plethora of research to support the fact that local economies with thriving markets benefit both the shopper and the adjoining retail establishments. |
|
|
|
Ireland lags far behind the rest of Europe and the UK with regard to local authority support for planned urban municipal markets. |
|
|
|
The UK have recently published a Parlimentary report detailing the benefits that retail markets bring to their localities: |
