Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This was sold as the number of people whose jobs are supported by the SBCI. However, I will read out this sentence again; "we are unable to fulfil directly the committee's request for a breakdown of the number of jobs supported by the SBCI". The SBCI acknowledges that it cannot do it. If it cannot provide that information on a national basis, it is because it does not have it. We will not ask the SBCI for something it has told us in writing that it cannot provide. The SBCI has answered the question. It does not collect the data and cannot provide it. We might point out that it produces figures that are not relevant to its lending. We have made that point. The SBCI does not have the information we seek. I will ask its officials to improve data collection. Perhaps the application forms submitted by companies receiving loans funded by the SBCI should include a question on the number of new jobs the loan is expected to support or the number of jobs that will be specifically retained as a result. We will make that suggestion. We will not tell the SBCI how to do its job. Perhaps the officials feel they cannot do this. As things stand, they have said they cannot answer the question. There is no point in asking them for further details.