DONEGAL TD Pearse Doherty has expressed his shock at the closure of the Mace Shop in Ballyshannon with the loss of 30 jobs.
Speaking after Donegal Daily revealed the closure Pearse Doherty said: “I am shocked and concerned to hear that the Mace shop in Ballyshannon, which employs 30 people in the town, appears to have closed. The news will come as a major blow to the community and to the local economy.
“Over the past 15 years, we have witnessed an exodus of business from the town as various small and medium sized enterprises including a factory have ceased trading.
“I am aware that the “Backing Ballyshannon”, a grassroots campaign, was founded in recent years by local people and has been working tirelessly to rejuvenate the area. This news will be absolutely devastating for them.
“It is clear that additional supports must be given to the retail sector and to small and medium enterprises as a matter of priority in order to allow them to continue their business and provide employment in their communities.
“Without an economic strategy from the Government which aims to stimulate and grow the economy, small businesses such as this one will continue to close and towns such as Ballyshannon will remain unemployment “Black Spots” despite the best efforts of their communities.
“I am calling on the Minister of State for Small Businesses to immediately put together a strategy to support our retailers and small enterprises. One of the first things that could be done is to cease the practice of upward only rent reviews, which is crippling our retail sector nationally.”