Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am happy to meet representatives of the sector. We want the money invested in it and I cannot be any clearer than that. It is in black and white in Rebuilding Ireland that we want this to happen. We worked hard to make it happen. It should be happening. There is money to be invested. Mechanisms have been designed by one credit union organisation and a SPV is ready to go. I made an appeal to AHBs, if they want to use that money, to engage with that sector. Another model is being designed in conjunction with the ICSH which we cannot implement as a Department and Government. We cannot design it for the credit union sector. It has to design its own. That work has been ongoing. It was not completed last autumn and is still not complete. It expects to complete it this quarter. That is one process. There is another process which is ready. I wish the Deputy would not repeatedly say that I gave the wrong impression last year. I said last year, when I was speaking to the sector, that there were mechanisms to draw down credit union money. I encourage that they be used. I would be happy to meet them. We have met them before to help them through this process.

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