Kevin Humphreys (Labour) | Oireachtas source

There are significant differences between those figures. It was pointed out by Senator Reilly with regard to the affordability of borrowing. There is certainly a significant difference in affordability with regard to borrowing not just in rural Ireland but in urban Ireland. With regard to access to borrowing for SMEs, affordability is very important.

My next question is general. Only about 32% of the deposits held by the credit union of which I am a member are available for lending. The sister credit union on the north side has a similar figure. I think it has about €273 million in an investment portfolio but only about €186 million out on loan. This is because of restrictions. For the sustainability of the credit union movement, I believe there needs to be an expansion. Sparkassen does not intend to go directly into the market but to support the credit union movement behind the scenes. Could Mr. Felzen expand on how he sees that developing not just in a rural sense but also in an urban sense? The two major credit unions in Dublin would be comparable in size to the old Trustee Savings Bank. This is local, but is the credit union movement an area into which Sparkassen is thinking of moving?