Hildegarde Naughton (Fine Gael)
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I thank Mr. Trethowan for his presentation and commend him on the work he has done.

On the number of cases his office handles, is he confident that its message is getting out there and there is sufficient awareness about the services it provides? We have all heard the radio adverts and so forth. Is there any analysis of where people would have heard of the service?

He made reference to the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland and welcomed its establishment. Are there any ways of making its offerings more attractive or is it too early to comment on that? I understand Mr. Trethowan meets quarterly with the Department of Finance on the progress made in loan sanctioning by the pillar banks. Is risk assessment part of that review? He has welcomed the banks’ lending performance, but, like many people, there is a fear of going back to the boom-and-bust cycle of the past. Is he satisfied with the lending performance of the banks?

Mr. Trethowan highlighted the need for improved awareness among small and medium-sized enterprises and their advisers of the advantages of checking that their credit information is accurate. Is there anything this committee can do to assist the Credit Review Office in raising awareness in this area?