Sir. May I congratulate Mandate for seeking a referendum on Sunday trading. Sunday trading by the large multiples is a matter of grave cultural and national significance. It is an issue which cannot be left to the discretion of traders who "do not consider it an issue of public concern". Neither can the decision be left to politicians whose instinctive reaction when faced with a difficult or complex decision is to shelter behind the constitution.
I will not speak of the impact of Sunday trading on religious observance; there are enough ministers of all persuasions to advance this case. I would like instead to highlight some of the other considerations in this decision.
1. The effects of Sunday trading by multiples and large stores should not be confused with established practice of opening by small neighbourhood stores. The present trading practice of small stores exists within an established cultural pattern; the opening of multiples would profoundly upset this pattern.
2. W. B. Yeats spoke of "the gyres" when he referred to the cyclical patterns of human life. This cyclical pattern gives a fundamental order to the human condition. This order is given expression by the observance of the seasons, and by the shared annual milestones. Among the most important of these is the shared weekly cycle, and the annual seasonal milestones of Easter and Christmas. None of the countries of Europe, save Sweden, is without civilised barriers to limit trading practice on Sundays and national holidays. To abandon such important social cycles is to invite profound social and psychological consequences.
3. The social pattern which has evolved in this country from a commonly shared leisure day is one of the most important cohesive elements in our society. The nationally shared interest in the great weekend and sporting events; the shared Saturday night out; the rhythm of the family Sunday, even the leisured pace of our Sunday newspapers all contribute to a common national pulse. To consider matters like this as being "not an issue of public concern" is to show a crass and selfish indifference to the common good and ultimately to commercial self interest.
4. The implications of Sunday trading are of major consequence to those engaged directly in retail trading but the effects would extend into all support services. Deliveries of perishables, provision of support services by all trades, electrical, cleaning, maintenance, financial, postal and ultimately state services, will be affected by Sunday trading. All these unions are involved in this decision, yet none of them is heard in this debate. Perhaps because there is no debate, nor is there even a forum for such a debate. None of the employers' unions provides a forum or seeks to engage in discussion on this matter perhaps because of the strength, within those unions, of the multiples and major stores.
5. The economic argument against Sunday trading is extremely strong. To increase opening hours by 16 per cent will add an estimated 25 per cent to overheads when one factors in the minimum double labour cost, together with increased costs of maintenance and wear on plants. I cannot believe that the increased cost can be recovered across the retail trade. It is not planned that it will; the increased opening hours will unfairly advantage those who distribute in a way which is non labour intensive and employs tow levels of skill. The argument that it will increase jobs is totally fallacious.
6. The implications for our extremely important tourist industry have not been examined. When asked, most of our visitors will state that the most important ingredient in the enjoyment of their holiday is "the people". What they are expressing is a delight in the Irish way of life. Undeniably, one of the most important ingredients in the Irish way of life is the across the board sharing of a common day of rest. The reduction in shared leisure time will have a disastrous effect on social patterns and should greatly interest industries which have benefitted from our increased share leisure.
7. The major feats of Easter and Christmas mark trading high points in the commercial year. Sunday has an important cyclical position within the week. If you destroy these trading high points, then, even in purely secular and materialist terms, it is economic suicide. Why celebrate Easter or Christmas or indeed why mark out Sunday as having any special significance if they are to be simply normal trading days?
8. It is the duty of our legislators to provide and maintain a social order which protects and nurtures the established values of our society. If our legislators are so devoid of skill as to fail to provide a mechanism within the constitution to protect the established order from the myopic onslaught of unbridled commercialism; if they are so out of touch in our two tier society, as not to recognise the full implications of Sunday trading, then it may be that the only way to allow the Irish people to express their opinion is through a referendum.
For this reason I congratulate Mandate on their call for such a referendum and I urge all other unions who will be affected to support Mandate in this call. Yours, etc.
Sligo.