Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I do not accept Deputy McGuinness's premise. I am not a spokesman for the banks - far from it. The Government has this matter as a central priority. In the past, during the Deputy's time in Government, banks swamped businesses with money, which in some cases they had not even asked for and on the basis of little evidence or proper facility. Things have now swung the other way. Regulations and conditions make the capacity to get money from banks difficult. In a time of economic challenge, banks have tightened up. They have been very clear, however, on the scale of new lending for this year.

I would like to see small and medium sized enterprises use the Credit Review Office to a greater extent. I do not accept they are reluctant to appeal to the office for fear of being in bad taste with the local bank manager. Bank managers move around the country regularly. I do not accept that premise at all. Business is business and does not stand on sentiment or who the local bank manager is. Things are very different from 20 years ago. As a business man himself, Deputy McGuinness can take it the Government will continue to interact with the banks and to exert pressure in this regard.

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