Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chair and welcome all our guests. I will start with the CLRG. Will Professor Lynch Fannon elaborate on her earlier point about expanding the pool of preferential creditors and how it will reduce the pool of assets to unsecured creditors? That could particularly affect SMEs. Has Ireland a higher representation of SMEs than other European countries? Just about 1 million people here are employed by SMEs. Other countries might have a higher proportion working in the public sector. She spoke about where financial companies are holding illegal securities or trusts that this would essentially change their leverage were there an expanded pool of preferential creditors. Will she comment on this?