Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

I brought together the banks, all the representatives of the small and medium sized enterprise sector, the foreign direct investment sector, and we have worked progressively on many of the issues raised by many sectors. Most particularly, we have been addressing people on both sides of the argument and familiarising them with the challenges within the banking and business sectors. For example, I have appointed, through Enterprise Ireland, a senior person to the banks and vice versa and we are working with a second bank in order to ensure that the business acumen which is necessary to this economy will be made available to people who wish to make applications to the banks.

When I was asked could I give a definite day or date when this would happen I said we have been progressively working with the banks to make sure that those viable businesses in need of support are supported to the best of our ability. I have provided a framework within which that will happen through the clearing group. People can bring their difficulties to the website that has been set up where we can deal with them on an almost one-to-one basis.

There is a stabilisation fund through which a considerable number of viable yet vulnerable businesses have received support. The employment subsidy scheme which sustains people in employment is as important as the creation of new employment. Although we continue to have many challenges to employment we are redoubling our efforts on the national employment action plan with my colleague the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, targeting training opportunities and convergence courses through which we take on people with skills and move them into new skills. We have a graduate placement programme to prevent our losing the skills that we already have.

We will continue to be vociferous in working with the banks to ensure that credit is made available as quickly as possible to the viable businesses that need to move forward.

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