South Dublin councillors vote to reduce trading licence by 50%

South Dublin County Councillors have voted to reduce the licence fee for casual traders by 50% for the upcoming season.

At this month’s meeting, councillors agreed a motion tabled by Sinn Fein councillor William Carey saying that casual traders should be offered reduction in fees for this year due to the loss of trading caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to Carey, casual traders have seen their opportunity to trade severely restricted and yet have been required to pay for licence for a full year.

These licence fees can drastically vary according to where the trader is located and what they sell.

For example, a licence to sell flowers at an operating graveyard would cost €500 while a licence to sell ice-cream at a public park costs €10,000 per annum.

Carey says that business operators throughout the county were offered a rates waiver if they could not normally operate and “I feel that casual traders should be treated in the same manner”, he said.

Carey said that “it was a no brainer that business operators should receive support through the rates waivers” but casual traders had been “ignored” and required to pay for a licence that would partially be of no use.

Patricia Colfer, administrative officer with Dublin City Council said that the council would be “writing to all traders whose licence was due for renewal from January this year to date.

“All traders will be given a once off six months reduction in their licence fee.”

Carey said that it was important that South Dublin County Council follows Dublin City Council’s lead in offering such a reduction.

In January of this year, Carey tabled a question to SDCC asking if casual trading fees could be waived for the upcoming year.

In response, the council said: “Throughout the year, South Dublin County Council engaged with casual traders that hold licences in respect of the council’s designated casual trading areas.

“The council will continue to engage with licence holders with a view to facilitating their continued trading in a safe manner, subject to compliance with relevant national guidance in relation to Covid 19 Pandemic.”

However, the council said it would not be offering respite to casual traders as it says “there was limited impact on their ability to trade.

“It is not proposed to compensate casual trading licence holders specifically.”

At the time, Carey said the council’s response was “not acceptable” and that “it is simply not good enough to expect traders to continue paying for a license when they cannot trade.”