There are three Deputies left. We are out of time but I propose, with the agreement of the House, to take the Deputies. Is that agreed? Agreed.

As the Taoiseach knows there are huge cost pressures on small- and medium-sized businesses. Irish retailers support more than 370,000 jobs in every part of our country. Many retailers I have spoken to are concerned about the medium- and long-term viability of their businesses. Our retailers provide a great service to their customers and to our local communities. The landscape of the Irish high street as we knew it has changed dramatically, and unfortunately for the worse. Walk down a principal street in any town today, and if there are businesses, they are principally in the services area and not the traditional shops selling drapery, groceries, gift items, hardware or household items. International corporations trading in e-commerce and selling products online pose particular difficulties for small- and medium-sized Irish businesses trading online too. Government-imposed costs on retail need to be reduced and the Government needs to prioritise the retail sector for support. It is a sector that contributes much to employment in every parish in our country.

I accept what the Deputy is saying. There is a fundamental issue with the urban landscape, and with high streets in particular. The world has changed and that needs to be taken on board in the modern planning of towns and cities. We need more residential in our towns and cities. I believe there is a future for retail but it will be a different kind of retail than the multi-stores we had in city and town centres in the past. Town and city planners perhaps need to engage more proactively on this. From a Government perspective we want to develop initiatives that would incentivise more residential and public realm investments, which some towns have been doing through rural development funds or the URDF. That is where we have to go.