Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

It is true that demand for credit is down because of the recession. It is also true that people are finding it difficult to obtain credit for viable but vulnerable businesses which are still trying to contend with the current situation. The Minister for Finance is seeking to ensure, on an ongoing basis, that good business ideas are not denied access to some level of credit, even if not the same amounts available when there was much more liquidity in the system than is the case at present. However, I do not accept Deputy Gilmore's basic contention that the Government has been doing nothing to seek to assist the situation. Every initiative we have taken has been rejected by the Deputy.

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