Mr. Des Gunning:

Some credit unions are extremely large. Common bonds are not what they used to be and the recommendations of the commission and the view of the registrar who spoke at a meeting in Kilkenny on 4 September is that there will be amalgamations. Common bonds will grow into fields of membership and that intimate personal touch will not be a feature of credit union life in the way it was previously. I do not contradict anything the Deputy said about the merit of credit unions and the standards that are brought to their operations. I support everything in that regard.