asked the Minister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism if he is aware that street-traders who traditionally trade for the three-week Christmas period in Henry Street, Dublin, are being obliged to pay the full licence and permit fees which total £120 and that many elderly traditional traders are unable to pay and will lose a badly needed source of income as a result; and if he will waive the licence fee to established traditional traders for that period.

Section 4 (7) of the Casual Trading Act, 1980 provides that "a casual trading licence, if not previously revoked, shall continue in force for a period of twelve months and shall then expire". The revocation of a licence arises where a condition of the licence is being or has been contravened or if the person to whom it was granted is convicted of any of a number of specified offences. I am not empowered by the Act to grant a licence in any circumstances which would be valid for less than 12 months and, therefore, I could not consider the waiving of existing licence fees in respect of the category of trader to whom the Deputy refers.