JAMES BROWNE WELCOMES EASING OF RESTRICTIONS
WEXFORD TD James Browne has welcomed the recent easing of public health restrictions allowing retailers across the county to re-open their doors.
“I am extremely proud of our business community and their staff here in Wexford – we have a proud tradition of hard working and friendly family run local businesses the length and breadth of the county. The last three months have been unbelievably difficult and I want to pay tribute to all of the shop owners who have been working so hard over the past few weeks putting the measures in place so that they could reopen this week. Our café, restaurant and pub owners and managers are currently making plans to reopen later this month and hopefully our hairdressers, barbers and salons will see their opening dates brought forward as well.
“I think we all recognise the importance of all of the shop owners and their staff and now fully appreciate the vital role they play at the heart of our communities. When we found ourselves limited to a two-kilometre radius, we needed our local stores more than ever. Before the pandemic, we looked to these stores to support fundraisers, employ people, and sell local produce. Now we see them as frontline services, staying open to ensure we have the necessary supplies to keep us all going.
“There is no shortage of creativity and innovation in towns and villages across County Wexford. Local businesses have all been adapting to the new normal; with some restaurants setting up takeaway services, cafes have facilitated online orders, and local producers have been selling at farmers markets.
“During the weeks of lockdown, I think we all found ourselves looking forward to getting out and shopping in our favourite local stores and we need to continue to do that. By supporting our local businesses we are in fact supporting our local communities.
“People who come into their local town to shop often end up meeting up with friends and family for a cup of coffee or a drink – it’s a social occasion as much as it is a shopping outing. While socially distancing may limit these social occasions for the moment, local traders need us to support them now more than ever before. They are putting in the work to ensure that we are safe and we should now make the effort to support and sustain them.
“As our economy begins to reopen, we should remember the shops and businesses that adapted and modified their services so that their customers could get access to what they needed. We should be putting our local businesses first and making the effort to support them over the next few weeks and months”.