Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

-----and the Department are working towards drawing down more assistance and funding from the EIF through the schemes. That is work in progress.

On the Deputy's wider assertion that credit is not getting through to small and medium-sized enterprises, that is not borne out by the facts in the credit reports we receive from the Central Bank and from the office headed by John Threthowan, which we set up deliberately to police and patrol the commitments made by the banks. It would not be wrong if occasionally a member of the Opposition's spokesmen's group such as Deputy Perry would acknowledge the fact that €12 billion is available now from both AIB and Bank of Ireland for this year and next year to extend to small and medium enterprises. It would be helpful also if Deputies in this House would advertise that fact locally.

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