Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. Specific to the loan schemes, I have concerns in two areas, the first on the level of drawn down funds and the second on the interest rate. If we talk about the two active funds, the credit guarantee scheme and Microfinance Ireland, which are relevant to this Vote, the figures supplied to the committee suggest there has been a drawdown of €19 million from Microfinance Ireland and of €14 million from the credit guarantee scheme in the past five and a half years, giving a total of €33 million drawn down in the past five a half years, which on average is €6 million a year. There has not been a drawdown yet from the Brexit loan scheme. Is a drawdown of €6 million a year the target the Department is going for? In the context of Brexit, enterprise stabilisation and market diversification, this is an extraordinary low amount.