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The vice minister responsible for the retail sector Damien English has been criticized for insisting that children’s clothing is not an essential item under the criteria set by the Government.
When asked Thursday night by RTÉ Prime Time host Miriam O’Callaghan why it was possible to “buy a bottle of wine, but no socks for my son,” Mr. English said that “socks come under of the clothes “. [AND]clothing is not essential. “
In response to those comments, Social Democrat TD Gary Gannon said he believed clothing was an essential item and noted that during the first shutdown in March, April and May, supermarkets were able to sell clothing along with food and other essentials.
This practice has ceased as retailers have been encouraged to adhere more closely to the definition of “essential items”, resulting in cordon off sections of supermarkets displaying toys, clothing and household items.
“There is no point in closing those aisles right now,” Gannon said.
“In terms of how we do it fair, we have to make it sensible. I think closing certain aisles in supermarkets where you can buy socks and T-shirts makes no sense to close them. “
He said the stores have “ventilation capacity and can apply social distancing manners. That is not the case in all stores, but in large outlets that should be able to do it. “
On social media, people criticized the position taken by English.
“If children’s clothing was not considered essential, the government would eliminate the 0 percent VAT rate,” Mary Clary noted. “I know it’s only six weeks, but children tend to grow up fast, put their knees through things and lose coats / sweaters / shoes at an alarming rate,” he added.
Sharon Leavy, meanwhile, said her kids “wear pants like you wouldn’t believe. Yes, I can order online, but that takes a week and I’m lucky to be in a position to have a card and good wifi to do it. Many do not. On which planet is clothing not essential? “
Jeanne Dowling echoed similar concerns. “My two-year-old son’s shoes got too small during the last closing,” she said. “I couldn’t shop online because she has an extremely wide foot with a high instep, I’m usually lucky enough to get a pair or two throughout the store that fit her. Now it looks like they will crush it until December. “
On Wednesday, Mr English organized a conference call with retailers and representative groups to discuss how the sector will be allowed to operate between now and early December, when the current Level 5 rules are relaxed.
One person at the meeting told The Irish Times that Mr. English had taken an equally firm line when a Dunnes Stores representative asked him for greater clarity as to what was considered essential and nonessential. They were told that no further clarification was needed because all the information was already in the public domain.
Most large retailers across the state have modified stores and blocked products that are deemed nonessential while the country is under Level 5 restrictions.
Under those rules, stores that can remain open include supermarkets, pharmacies, hardware and hardware stores, stores that sell PPE, fuel suppliers, stores that sell things considered essential to the welfare of animals, and stores that sell products necessary for ‘maintenance and essential functioning of places of residence and businesses ”.
Last weekend, Tánaiste and Enterprise Minister Leo Varadkar said that selling non-essential items alongside essential products “is not legal” and called on retailers to “comply with regulations and … comply with the spirit of the regulations. “
He said mixed retailers would have to separate their stocks “and sell only the items that are essential” and cited the example of a supermarket, which has groceries and clothing, saying that this last section should be cordoned off.
On Saturday and Sunday, Gardaí stepped up surveillance of commercial spaces, although a spokesman declined to say how many stores had been visited or if any action had been taken against those who broke the rules.
Tesco has said that even before the Garda enforcement measures were put in place, it had “adhered to government guidelines and shut down our F&F clothing, home entertainment and toy units across the country. We will continue to offer a very limited range of essential clothing for customers only, for example school wear and some baby wear. “
A Boots spokeswoman said that as an essential service, it could continue to operate. “We are prioritizing the sale of essential items in our stores, however, if a customer wants to purchase additional products in another area of the store, they can do so.”
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