Casual trading was officially viewed as a marginalised activity and the potential of open-air markets to enhance town centres was unrecognised, the secretary of the Irish Organisation of Market and Street Traders told representatives of trading associations from 11 European countries yesterday. Mr David Reddin said some of the "more punitive" licence fees set for casual traders by local authorities reflected a fear of competition. "The regulations governing local authority markets are made by local councillors, many of whom are small business people."

There were 10,000 full-time market traders, 5,000 seasonal traders and between 3,000 and 5,000 illegal traders, coming up against regulations which differed according to county and locality. He said the 1980 and 1995 Casual Trading Acts were enacted by people "ignorant of the concept of casual trading". "Both of these pieces of legislation have been regressive rather than progressive. Neither of these two acts have granted the trader any rights, and in fact diminish his constitutional right to earn a living," he said. Casual traders were never consulted about fees, the choice of pitches, or the management and equipping of places of sale. "We believe that the 1995 Casual Trading Act should be reviewed, in consultation with representatives of market traders," he said.