The Public Health Alcohol Bill is due back in the Seanad next week so it is vital that retailers keep their local TDs and Senators aware of concerns about the impact of Section 20 (structural separation) on your shop.  RGDATA will circulate the Bill as soon as it is published.

RGDATA has written to Minister Michael D’Arcy calling for changes to the Occupiers Liability Act 1995 to drive down unsustainable shop insurance premiums. An RGDATA delegation met with the Minister who is responsible for Insurance reform during the summer recess. Click here to read the submission.

RGDATA Director General Tara Buckley will attend a High Level Consultation Forum on the Action Plan for Jobs at Farmleigh House on November 6. The Action Plan for Jobs is a whole of Government approach to support the creation of an additional 200,000 jobs by 2020, with 135,000 outside Dublin. 

Click here for the Retail News article.

RGDATA is a member of Independent Retail Europe (IRE) which represents the interests of groups of independent shops. IRE is due to meet with the new EU Commission Head of Unit responsible for retail and is seeking member views on issues relating to Territorial Supply Constraints.

Territorial Supply Constraints is the situation where a retailer is asked to only purchase from the supplier’s operations located in that country. e.g. as a theoretical example a retailer located in France is obliged to buy Coca Cola from Coca Cola France, rather than the Coca Cola office in the country where it is cheapest to source the product.

 The Commission has provided IRE with the following request:

We are particularly interested in learning whether your members are affected, and how regularly, by territorial supply constraints. In particular, we would like to understand:

1. How commonly directions from certain manufacturers to contact only designated suppliers are received.
2. How are such instructions received (e.g. verbally).
3. What are your members’ experiences when they try to contact suppliers in other member states.
4. How frequently and under which circumstances do your members actively seek to source products from other Member States.
5. What are the reasons given by suppliers for directing retailers to specific offices.
6. What other practices have your members come across that indirectly limit their ability to parallel import products (e.g. differences in labels, etc.)
7. In addition to restrictions placed by suppliers, are there any national or local requirements that prevent your members from parallel importing certain products.

We kindly ask you to send us your input by Thursday 19 October to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Minister Eoghan Murphy chaired a meeting of the National Planning Framework Advisory Group attended by RGDATA Director General Tara Buckley. The Group reviewed the work to date on the National Planning Framework which will set out a strategic plan for development in Ireland for the next 20 years. A Draft plan will be published shortly and will be put up for further public consultation.

Health Minister Simon Harris TD says he will bring an amended Public Health Alcohol Bill to be passed into legislation in October. RGDATA has written to Minister Harris highlighting members' concerns about Section 20 of the Bill which seeks to introduce Structural Separation in mixed trading outlets.

Click here to read the RGDATA letter.

RGDATA Director General Tara Buckley is lined up to speak at a conference in Sligo in October on the Future of Towns. Click here for details:

RGDATA has made a submission to the Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation raising concerns about rising costs for independent shops including insurance costs and excesses; commercial rates increases; PSO levy increase and the potential cost impact of new regulations regarding the sale of alcohol and plastic reductions. Click here to read the submission.

Minister Damien English was at launch of the Tralee Health Check where he praised RGDATA Director General Tara Buckley and Ali Harvey from the Heritage Council for initiating the Town Centre Health Check pilot. Click here for the podcast.