‘A whole raft of stuff’ being ‘thrown at us’ – employers

The national minimum hourly rate increased by eighty cents on January 1 to €13.50 for those aged 20 years and over.

Those aged 19 must receive at least €12.15 an hour, while those aged 18 will receive €10.80 per hour on their weekly payslip. For people aged under 18 years, the minimum rate is €9.45. However, many business owners pointed out that the payroll isn't the only expense creeping up.

The introduction of the Auto-Enrolment Retirement Savings Scheme, called My Future Fund, will start from September 30, 2025.

Under the scheme, the employee, employer, and Government all pay a certain amount into the employee’s pension fund.

In addition to this, a 10% hike in commercial rates from January 1 was also passed in December.

Patrick Boyle from Boyle for Men understood why the minimum wage increased.

"My feeling on the minimum wage would be I understand why it's increasing, costs are increasing across the board.

"I know what the government is trying to do I think, they're just trying to bring it up closer to what's known as a living wage."

Patrick reported that Boyle for Men "wouldn't have a problem" with the increase.

"I do see that it can cause problems for a lot of smaller business out there who are under tighter margins.

"It's okay for us but I do see that it's a double-edged sword.

"I think that it's, in general, good but it could possibly hamper small business from taking people on.

"Our staff are well worth it," he praised.

Speaking on the minimum wage increase, Brian Kennedy of Kennedy's Spar in Ballyconnell said "it's getting harder" to meet the wage bill.

"I'll not deny it, I'm in the middle of working them out here now and it's going to put another good chunk on to the payroll every week."

"It's going to be hard to find it because you have to cover it some way and the only place you can cover it is in prices."

He estimated that the increase will put an extra €1,000 per week on the payroll for his business.

"It doesn't help," he added.

Brian said "if it was only one thing" the business could "take it on the chin" and "work around it". However there is also a pension contribution, a 10% increase in business rates starting this year and the supermarket owner predicted an increase in insurance costs.

"It's a whole raft of stuff that's being thrown at us," he said, acknowledging that there has been some grant aid.

"They [grants] don't be long getting swallowed up."

"We have to just figure out how we're going to navigate through it," he said.

Sally West owner Ruth Leddy said she had been paying staff around the new minimum wage anyway.

"I'm all for a fair wage for a fair day's work, we've always done that.

"How I feel about it is that government responsibilities are kind of being transferred to us," she said, speaking of sick payment and pension payments, which will have "more of an impact" along with "rising" running costs and rates.

Having received the Power Up grant, which she was "glad to get", Ruth felt it was counteractive when a few weeks later, she heard rates would be increasing.

"It almost felt like as if it's lip service - give them this grant and then take them back again in rates."

With the increase in rates, Ruth doesn't see "any more benefit" to business in the town.

"Nothing seems to be changing.

"It seems to be what they're [local authority] taking from us and not what improvements they're making to the town."

She believes rates should be "waived" for small business starting up "to fill in the empty shops".

Ruth called for "more support" for smaller enterprises "rather than letting the small guy take all the weight".

She also called for "more innovative ways" of making the town more attractive.

"If I seen value for money in my rates, I probably wouldn't be as gripey about them," she said, adding that currently she does not see the value.

Acknowledging the help with free parking and additional spaces over Christmas, Ruth said on "very frosty days" she has seen times when footpaths were not cleaned or gritted and would also like to see "repairs" in some areas.

Speaking from a Chamber of Commerce perspective, Cllr Philip Brady said "it's very tough on self employed people at the present time".

"The reason a group of people set up the chamber was to try and bring stuff back to Cavan Town, to bring people back into Cavan Town."

"At the end of the day it's about trying to bring business back."

He said the purpose of the Chamber is "to try and make the county town more attractive, to try and get more businesses into Cavan Town and to try and help the businesses that are struggling at the present time."

"It is a struggle out there."

"It's always a worry after Christmas going into the New Year for people and I suppose that's what the chamber is there for, to try and do something early on to help."

Meanwhile, planning for the St Patrick's Day Festival is currently underway with a launch to take place on January 25.