Empty business premises in Cootehill "a real problem" says visiting junior minister

Sean McMahon

A junior finance minister accepted that vacant comercial premises in Cootehill were “a real problem” and stressed that the message he took from local businesses was “not to tax the hell out of them”.
The Minister for State at the Department of Finance, Brian Hayes was in the town on a whistle stop tour in Cavan and Monaghan on Monday.
In an interview with The Anglo-Celt, Minister Hayes admitted that the message he got on the ground during his visit was to keep taxes low. He added that the only way to keep people in jobs was “not to tax the hell out of them”.
Asked how he would describe the number of vacant premises in the town of Cootehill, Minister Hayes replied: “that is a real problem. We have 20% more retail space in this country, than is the case in Britain – all fuelled by a property mad bubble.
“I hope over a period of time we can manage that – but it is a real problem for the retail and the commercial sector and I recognise that.”
Was there any incentives that the Government could bring forward to encourage to open up those businesses in towns like Cootehill, Minister Hayes explained that “we have a whole range of things that we announced in last year’s budget, including VAT – we had 10 action points in the SME sector to help the retailers specifically. The key thing we need to get going this year is to make sure that there are opportunities for lending – that is the way we grow the economy and that is really the task of the Government for the rest of this year.”

Remain at work
Minister Hayes visited a number of companies in Cootehill, including ABCON and PQE Technology Limited and praised them for “the way they are diversifying” and their use of “the export potential that is there”. He said the the “overriding message” from Cootehill businesses was to keep taxes low.
“The way we are going to encourage the 1.8 million people to remain at work, is not to tax the hell out of them. The way we are going to encourage people away from the dole onto employment is to use the taxation system as a means of liberating those people.
“The very important message I have picked up in advance of the budget is that we need to get the balance right between the expenditure adjustments on one side and the taxation side on the other. The only way we are going to recover as a country is to have a competitive tax on personal tax as well as corporate tax and that is the consistent message I got today”, said Minister Hayes.

Income tax
Asked if he would be suggesting to his Cabinet Ministers that income tax be cut in the budget to give people more spending power, Minister Hayes replied:
“I would love to do that, but I think the scope for that is going to be difficult in this year’s budgetary round, when the adjustment is going to be somewhere between €2.2 billion and €3.2 billion. That will have to be made up in cuts in expenditure and some rise in tax – but I am confidently predicting that we will not see rises in income tax.”

Itinerary
Earlier in the day the Minister met councillors in Monaghan and and amongst the places he visited were visited Shabra Plastics and Universal Graphics. When he arrived at Tanagh outside Cootehill, he was taken on a boat trip along the Dromore river system to assess the tourism its potential. He also visited Mastek Ltd, Gaeltec Energy, Clonarn Clover Ltd, Cootehill Precision Engineering. The Minister also went to EMCA, where he performed the official opening. He also visited the site of the new enterprise centre under construction at the Station Road, which will focus on IT facilities.
Later on in the evening at the Errigal Country Hotel for a pre-budget discussion with members of Cootehill Chamber of Commerce and members of the VFI.
Issues brought to the attention of the Minister included cutting of VAT from 23% to 21% and rates and rent should be based on the turnover of a premises, the need to progress the Dundalk to Cavan strategic route (East/West Road), the need to incentivise people to return to work and make it worthwhile for them. It was also suggested that a stop should be put to paying multiples VAT rebates and below cost selling.