Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I am aware that the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs has the lead responsibility for investigating how a public banking model, the Sparkassen model, might be set out here but am keen to hear if the Department of Finance has played any role in this so far. What will be the Department of Finance's input into the roll-out of such a model? The Sparkassen model concentrates on SME lending, particularly at a regional level, where deposits are kept within a regional area. I am keen to know what, if any, role the Department of Finance will play in this investigation.

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