'No discussion about the wider issues affecting affordability' says Tipperary candidate

Shop closures in Clonmel were a huge issue when canvassing the town, said Nadaline Webster, who is a General Election candidate for Independent Ireland who is running for a seat in South Tipperary.

“There’s an awful lot of closures in Clonmel, it’s clear there are issues here. I wasn’t able to find out and the shop owners didn’t know either, what the rationale behind the rate increase even is. Business owners spoke of a meeting in the town next week in the Talbot Hotel about the rate increases."

Webster said "I’d love to attend but I’m already booked sadly, the meeting is about the rates increase. I’m really struggling to understand any kind of connected plan at all, for small businesses in rural Ireland.

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"Michael Fitzmaurice from Independent Ireland requested a reduction in VAT rates for hospitality two weeks before the budget. At that time the government said no. After the election is announced they say you can have it within a hundred days if we get re-elected, but otherwise no. Of course that’s not any kind of guarantee. This is not how we should be making decisions about things in this country.”

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