Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his reply. There is a job of work to be done in marketing the potential role of the European Investment Bank in Ireland, particularly with SMEs. In my experience, SMEs' level of awareness of the EIB is quite weak. When I come across them and point out the various initiatives and sources of funding available, many of them are not aware of them, despite the efforts of various business representative bodies. If the potential of the EIB is now being leveraged in Ireland at a time when the banks are under continued financial stress in respect of their own lending capacity, we need increasingly to look to sources such as the EIB. Will the Government consider building up the level of awareness and the marketing of those potential sources?

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