Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

That has not been my experience. When SMEs come to me, I point to the option to go to the Credit Review Office, but they are so weary of dealing with banks for weeks and months they do not want to hear about going through another process. They apply to the banks and a few weeks later they comes back to them to look for more information that they did not look for initially - it is like applying for a medical card - and eventually a few months later they receive a decision which they then appeal and takes more time. They then come to us. When we suggest they go to the Credit Review Office, they think it is not worth the hassle.