Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Bhí mé ag éisteacht leis an díospóireacht níos luaithe agus bhí sé spéisiúil an réimse tuairimí a bhí le clos, ní hamháin ón bhFreasúra ach ó chúlbhinsí an Rialtais chomh maith. Ba léir gur thuig Teachtaí cé chomh tábhachtach is atá an córas chómhar creidmheasa timpeall na tíre agus an dáinséar atá ann, má reachtaítear an Bille go loitfear bun ethos na gcomhar creidmheasa. Dúirt an Teachta Arthur Spring go ndéanfadh an Bille an córas níos láidre. Tá roinnt de ghnéithe an Bhille a dhéanfadh sin agus tá gá le roinnt reachtaíochta. Ach is í an fhadhb is mó, mar atá an Teachta Seán Crowe díreach tar éis a rá, nach bancanna atá i gceist anseo. Ghníomhairí pobail atá taobh thiar den chóras chomhar creidmheasa. Ar bhonn phobail a bhí na comhair creidmheasa ó thús báire agus ar son an phobail atá siad. Níl siad ann chun brabús a dhéanamh dóibh féin. Ní cóir go mbéadh siad ariamh ceangailte leis an gcaipitleachas a raibh na bancanna gafa leis.

Tá cleachtas difriúil ag teastáil chun na comhair creidmheasa a reachtáil. Ní cóir, dá réir, rialacha banc a chur anuas orthu mar bhéadh sé sin ag teacht salach ar an mbun ethos atá a baint leis na heagrais pobail seo. Ba chóir déanamh cinnte de go leanfaidh na heagrais seo, go gcuirfear leo agus go dtabharfar cosaint don pobal a bhfuil siad ag soláthar seirbhíse dó, fiú in am an ghátair mar atá ann faoi láthair.

Forcing on credit unions the commercial and banking regulations that apply to banks and other financial institutions reveals a lack of understanding of the credit union movement as it evolved in Ireland. If the Minister understood how it originated, the services it now provides and the ethos underlying it, he would not even think of imposing many of the restrictions he proposes. Nobody is arguing against stricter regulations for credit unions to ensure nothing untoward happens, but they should not be legislated for in the same way as banks. These are voluntary groups with limited membership numbers and liabilities. They are not multi-billion euro basket cases like Anglo Irish Bank, AIB or, to a lesser extent, the ESB, which speculated to beat the band. They are community-based, not-for-profit organisations and their shareholders are their members. Their purpose is to serve their communities and keep people out of the grip of moneylenders, both legal and illegal. Professionalising them to the extent that the voluntary aspect is removed would limit the ability of directors to serve their communities and is an affront to members. I do not deny that some credit unions face difficulties or need to amalgamate but they should not be tarred with the same brush as the Fingletons of this world. Credit unions need to be protected and encouraged rather than hampered because they play an important social role. We are trying to encourage people who are in difficulty to go to MABS rather than moneylenders.

The Irish League of Credit Unions states that thousands of valued and experienced credit union members will be debarred from serving as directors or board oversight committee members as a direct consequence of the term limits proposed in the Bill. It argues that the introduction of the fitness and probity regime for credit union directors and officers should obviate the need for the crude device of term limits and points out that such hard and fast rules do not apply to any other credit union movement across the world. This is unprecedented in the context of the financial services industry in Ireland.

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