SinnFéinpetition seeksratesamnesty forlocalbusinesses

SINN Féin councillors Tom Forde and Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin have launched an online petition seeking a rates amnesty for Wexford businesses affected by the Covid-19 outbreak. The petition aims to highlight concerns raised by business owners in recent weeks regarding the massive financial strain that SMEs in particular will be under when restrictions are lifted.

‘It is absolutely vital that the council listen to, and support, local business owners,’ said Cllr Forde. ‘ The pressures that they will face in the coming months are immense. The rates deferral currently proposed by the council, while a welcome step, only kicks the rates issue further down the line, and will result in our SMEs having to repay rates from a time they were closed, in an effort to keep us all safe. I believe a rates amnesty for this period, rather than a deferral, is the best option to relieve our small businesses of their immediate cash-flow concerns.’

Both councillors are hopeful that any shortfall in rates can be replaced by a larger government package to ease pressure on SMEs.

‘We understand how vital the commercial rates are in funding the important services supplied by the Council but, from listening to the business owners, it is clear that there are very real concerns about the next few months,’ said Cllr Ó Súilleabháin. ‘We want to remain positive, and give our local businesses the confidence they need to resume trading, to keep and create jobs, and to know that they were fully supported by their local council and their government, at a time they needed it most.’