Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Does the bank require a different slate of solutions for microenterprises the debt level of which may not be associated with a tangible asset, for example, buy-to-let properties, in which many other SMEs may have invested? The debt may relate to the expansion of the business that did not work out, but a viable core business remains. I can think of a number of such businesses in my area which still have a viable core business but a debt owing to an investment is dragging them down. I take on board what Mr. Boucher says about it not being policy to write down, but in circumstances such as this where there is no debt solution, the business will fail. That is not beneficial to anybody but particularly provincial Ireland where there is a preponderance of such enterprises.