An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Seanad Éireann — 2025-12-18
============================================================

Linda Nelson Murray (FG), Industrial and Commercial Panel

I sit on the enterprise committee. We spend a lot of time debating the increased cost of doing business and the pressures a lot of businesses are under. As today is 18 December and there are still six shopping days left, I ask people to visit their local businesses and shop local. When they do, they keep more money in their local economy, celebrate the uniqueness of their community, support local jobs, encourage community and invest in entrepreneurship. Shopping locally is about more than convenience; it is about community. When we choose to spend our money in local shops, cafés and businesses, we are investing directly in towns and villages. Local businesses create jobs, support families and keep our high streets alive. Money spent locally stays local, helping to fund sports clubs, charities and community events. Most importantly, shopping locally means personal service, trust and pride, knowing the people behind the counter and supporting those who support us every day. Your fingers do not need the exercise, but your hips and your belly might, so put down your tablet, walk around your town or village, meet the shopkeepers, have a mulled wine in your local bar and a mince pie in your café. Enjoy and happy Christmas.

---

Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted.

Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2025-12-18/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:29+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-12-18