Retail taskforce needed ‘urgently’ amid ‘prominent’ shop closures in Waterford

A Waterford councillor has reiterated his calls for a retail taskforce to be established, amid a number of shop closures in recent weeks.

Independent councillor Joe O’Riordan spoke on the subject at the February plenary meeting of Waterford City and County Council.

Cllr O’Riordan said: “I want to follow up on points I raised at successive meetings prior to the Christmas break.

“In light of very prominent retail business closures in the city and Dungarvan, can we please have a conference setup?”

He continued by saying that a taskforce needed to be setup “with urgency to tackle the challenges of retail and engage with businesses”.

READ NEXT: Fears of potential redundancies at major employer in Waterford

He added that the council needs to examine how it can “aid retail businesses in the current climate”.

“It is very difficult but if we can provide relief, then we should be proactive on this, particularly in areas where we can provide assistance which has negligible cost and is within our periphery,” he concluded.

In response to Cllr O’Riordan, Acting Director of Services Claire Hartley said that the council is working to establish the taskforce.

She said that the council aims to meet with retailers in both the city and Dungarvan in the first quarter of 2026.

The meetings will look to highlight the different types of offerings that retailers in Waterford can provide and the supports available to them.

She concluded by saying that the council will look to roll out additional supports this year.

Her comments came just days after the jewellery chain Claire’s announced the imminent closure of its Waterford store after 25 years in the city.

Meanwhile, the future of the EuroGiant store on Michael Street remains in doubt after the company entered liquidation this month.