Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)

Many things are practical. We have to live in the real world as well. The difficulty is that there has been a global downturn. We have a recession in this country. There has been a contraction of the economy. There has been a drop in demand for credit. Equally, there has been a drop in demand for the goods and services offered by small and medium-size businesses. The Deputy also asked about the extent to which Enterprise Ireland is working with the banks. The Tánaiste is in discussions about the establishment of a forum, comprising representatives of the banks, Enterprise Ireland and other stakeholders, to discuss these issues again. In the meantime, Enterprise Ireland is discussing these issues with the banks on a continual basis.

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