Budget 2026: 'No reward' for sole traders 

Budget 2026 leaves independent operators frustrated

Pamela Burke of Burke By Design, Pearse Street, Clonakilty, West Cork. Picture: Dan Linehan

With every passing year, the pressure on independent business operators in Ireland grows.  "There's no reward for keeping your doors open," says independent trader Pamela Burke. 

Pamela runs Burke By Design, a gift and designware outlet on Pearse Street in Clonakilty. "I started my business as a design consultancy in 1998, and opened my first shop in 2000 on Spillers Lane, and moved to my current shop on Pearse Street in 2003," she said.