Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We often hear that facilitates have been approved, but the draw-down time is elongated and the conditions in drawing down funding approved prove insurmountable. I would like to know the difference between the actual amount approved and the amount drawn down.
What is Bank of Ireland doing in the branch network to promote the Credit Review Office? How many applications to Bank of Ireland went to the Credit Review Office? Is there active engagement on Bank of Ireland's part in promoting the service?
On the recent comments of Professor Morgan Kelly on SME loan impairment, Mr. Gerry Prizeman, head of small business, said there was no time bomb in Bank of Ireland. Will the delegates flesh out that comment? What percentage of SME and company loans has Bank of Ireland restructured in the past few years? Has it farmed out any of its debt to outside companies for pursual?
When one speaks to business people, there is huge frustration about the increase in bank charges in the past few years - charges for basic banking services, including coins and coin lodgements. What is the average increase in bank charges to SMEs in the past three years? What other charges is the bank imposing on businesses, including loan fees? Does it charge them if members of its recovery team helps them to restructure their business?
I refer to an issue highlighted in the Entrepreneurship Forum report which was commissioned by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and headed by Mr. Sean O'Sullivan. There are a number of issues around finance, one of which is around the notion of personal guarantees. The SME lending code of conduct from the Central Bank states:

7. Having due regard to the nature, liquidity and value of collateral a regulated entity [the bank] must not impose unreasonable collateral requirements for providing credit facilities, having regard to the value of the credit being offered.
8. A regulated entitymust not impose unreasonable personal guarantee requirements on borrowers.

The Entrepreneurship Forum report approved by the Department, states:

However, the lending banks in Ireland are not following this code.
For example, even for established, profitable, non-leveraged limited companies, a requirement for personal guarantees is considered normal rather than an exception. This is outrageous and Irish banks should begin to follow international standards on this issue rather than continue this current backwater behaviour.

I would like to hear the delegates reaction to this.
Mr. McLoughlin mentioned the credit guarantee scheme, but that scheme has been a flop and the Minister will come back in a few weeks with new legislation. What suggestions would he make in trying to get some value for the money available under the credit guarantee scheme?