Retailers challenge Government over rents

Retailers have challenged the Government to publish the reasons why it believes there are constitutional difficulties to introducing legislation to tackle the problem of historical upward-only rent review leases.

The Irish Commercial Tenants Association yesterday called on the Government to explain why legal problems with the issuecannot be overcome.

ICTA spokesman John Corcoran said a legal opinion prepared by a constitutional expert, Gerard Hogan (now a high court judge), for another group, Retail Excellence Ireland, had indicated that the Government could exercise its right under the Constitution to interfere with historical leases in the interests of the common good.