Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 15 April 2014

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Access to Finance for SMEs: Bank of Ireland, Ulster Bank and AIB

2:50 pm

Mr. Jim Brown:

The sum of €1.2 billion was set aside for new lending, so that is for drawdown. It is not approvals, limits or anything like that but actual cash that we are looking to get out the door. We are looking to lend €1.2 billion across the island. We expect two thirds of the figure to be spent in the Republic, which reflects our business here. That may amount to between €800 million and €850 million and can be compared with around €600,000 in 2013. The sum of €1.2 billion is actual cash to get out the door and be drawn down.