RGDATA Director General Tara Buckley took part in the Rural Safety Forum quarterly meeting via on online conference call hosted by the IFA. Buckley raised independent retailers’ concerns regarding criminal gangs who arrived in a town or a rural area intent on carrying out a series of crimes or scams. The Forum agreed to set up a sub committee to address these concerns and find ways for the Gardai to work closely with the farming, community and other representative associations to stop this type of criminal activity. The Forum also set up a sub committee to look at rural isolation and Covid 19.

Click here for the latest updates and here to download the complete pdf document.

Email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the name of the employee who went the extra mile during Covid-19 pandemic.  They will then be included in a draw for a week's stay in any of the Talbot Hotels.  Nominees will not be disclosed.

All members of your team can avail of a special €60 x 2 night stay per person sharing.  Download the RGDATA app for more details.

RGDATA has urged the Government to invest €15 million in Budget 2021 to fund the roll out of the Town centre First policy and the Collaborative Town Centre Health Check programme nationwide. The RGDATA Budget 2021 submission also calls for an extension of the rates waiver scheme, further Covid 19 supports for SMEs and a Super tax on Insurance Company Profits. Click here to read the submission.

The FSAI Brexit website was relaunched this week to help food businesses prepare for 1 January 2021. Visit www.fsai.ie/Brexit for information on the requirements for importing food, and for placing imported food on the Irish market.

RGDATA Director General Tara Buckley highlighted the key issues impacting on independent convenience/grocery retailers in an online meeting with Minister for Retail Damien English on Thursday 4 September. “We had a full and frank discussion about the ongoing challenges being posed by Covid-19; mandatory face masks; the need for the new Minister to take a strong line with the banks on charges imposed on retailers and their customers with regard to cash and contactless payments; what interventions are required to reduce the cost of shop insurance and the need for investment in new structures and strategies to revitalise the retail core of Ireland’s towns and villages,” said Buckley.

“We also discussed the Online Retail Scheme; the challenges of a no deal Brexit and the November 12 deadline for Structural Separation”. RGDATA will provide follow up information to the Minister on what is required in Budget 2021 to fund Town Centre Repurposing and regeneration and the roll out of the new Town Centre First Policy and implementation programmes. “The Minister said he was aware that RGDATA had considerable experience in this area following on from our work with the Heritage Council on the Collaborative Town Centre Health Check Programme” and he looked forward to seeing our views on how the policy and programmes should be funded and rolled out.

Regulations relating to structural separation of alcohol products in mixed trading shops set out in the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 will come into effect on 12 November 2020.

Click here for the guidance document, here for further information on the sale of alcohol and here for the bill.

RGDATA has asked the Legal Services Regulator to review some online activity regarding Covid-19 and the wearing of facemasks that raises issue of concern for independent shopkeepers. Click here to read the letter.

The Government has published a new Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy. RGDATA Director General Tara Buckley is a member of the Advisory Group that met over the past weeks to discuss the plan.

In relation to the proposed Deposit and Return Scheme (DRS), the document states:
"We will introduce a deposit and return scheme for plastic bottles and aluminium cans. In delivering this, we will work closely with the food and drink industries, retailers, waste collectors and treatment facilities, and our colleagues in Northern Ireland"

For packaging, the plan puts a lot of responsibility on the packaging producers. e.g. producers will be made liable for a minimum of 80% of the costs associated with the waste management of the amount of packaging they place on the market. All packaging on the Irish market is to be reusable or recyclable by 2030.

A number of single use plastics including cutlery, plates and single use beverage containers are to be banned by July of 2021.

Food waste options are to be made available for homes and businesses.

Click here to read the Waste Action Plan.

Is there someone on your team who has gone above and beyond the call of duty during Covid-19? Download the RGDATA APP and you can nominate them to be in with a chance of winning a seven day break in a Talbot Collection Hotel. The Talbot Collection with hotels in Dublin, Cork, Wexford and Carlow are also offering RGDATA members and friends a special Retail Hero Rate of €60 B&B. Offer available from September 1 to June 30 2021. Details on our app.
To access the RGDATA App use the code M0022