RGDATA has made a submission to the Oireachtas Covid 19 Committee which is currently looking at what needs to be done to ensure economic recovery post Covid-19.  Click here to read the RGDATA submission.

The call for a national Town Centre taskforce led by regeneration experts co-ordinated by the Department of An Taoiseach is being supported by many organisations and experts in evidence based town planning. The Irish Examiner highlighted the letter signed by RGDATA Director General Tara Buckley and many others including The Heritage Council and Chambers Ireland. Click here to read the story.

RGDATA Director General Tara Buckley featured in the Business Post calling for specific measures to put local shops and SMEs at the heart of Ireland’s post Covid recovery. Click here to read the interiew.

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The reopening of retail stores is highlighted in the Government’s latest Covid-19 messaging with Shop Local and Shop Safely a key message. Click here to see the latest guidance.

An amendment to Section 12 of the Redundancy Payments legislation, one of the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest COVID-19 Act 2020 has been extended to 10 August.  This means that for the duration of the designated ‘emergency period’ employees on lay-off or short-time will not be in a position to claim a redundancy payment if the lay-off or short-time is due to the effects or measures required to be taken by the employer to comply with, or as a consequence of, the Government policy to reduce the spread of infection of COVID-19. 

On Friday 29 May, the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty, confirmed that the Cabinet had decided to extend the suspension of redundancy provisions relating to temporary lay-off and short-time work which arose as a result of COVID-19 until 10 August.  Click here for more information

Supports of up to €5,000 are available to help SMEs get online

Under the Scheme, small businesses can claim up to €5,000 in two vouchers worth €2,500 each. The Scheme also facilitates subscriptions to low-cost online retailing platform solutions to quickly establish a retailing presence online. Click here for more information.

TDs Emer Higgins and Mattie McGrath have asked Dail Questions about the Public Health Alcohol Bill 2018 requirement for mixed trading shops to introduce segregation of alcohol products by 12 November.  Click here to read more.

The new RGDATA APP is now available to all our members – all the news and information you need at your fingertip including Covid-19 updates; RGDATA campaigning; HR advice, latest convenience retail innovation, research data and member survey results.

RGDATA Director General is one of the signatories of a letter calling for the establishment of a specific taskforce to drive and manage the regeneration of Town, village and urban centres. “Before Covid-19 created havoc many Irish towns already had some of the highest vacancy rates in Europe. We need a specific taskforce led by regeneration experts to drive the recovery in our towns, villages and urban centres,” says RGDATA Director General Tara Buckley. RGDATA has been making the case for this unit to politicians negotiating the new programme for Government. Click here to read the contents of the letter.

Ireland is sliding down the ranking for better regulation from 9th place in the EU in 2009 down to 23rd in 2020 according to a new report from the National Competitiveness Council. “RGDATA and others SMEs are calling for a specific agency to support SMEs. This agency could revive the Better Regulation Unit so that Ireland can deliver on the targets to streamline red tape and regulation and make our systems more efficient and more supportive of the SME sector,” Tara Buckley stated. RGDATA is raising this with the Department of Business and the National Competitiveness Council, Buckley added.  Click here to read the new report.