Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have one final question on this matter. It relates to the pillar banks' ability to use this guarantee to lend. They can lend to SMEs and larger companies. We went through that and through my concerns about how it needs to be targeted earlier. Will the banks be able to use this guarantee to lend only to companies that are tax-resident within the State? Will they have the capacity to support a business located in, for example, Strabane?

As a result of Brexit, the people of the North have been dragged out of the European Union without their consent. We have been very vocal here in trying to ensure that European Union supports are provided to the greatest degree possible to citizens, businesses and universities, in respect of research and development and so on, in the North. That is challenging. The State needs to stand up and make sure that cases such as this are dealt with. We saw the situation with regard to the pandemic unemployment payment. I will make that point again. It has been made by myself and many of my colleagues. People who live in the North but who live and pay their taxes and social insurance contributions here were not able to get the pandemic supports available to others who pay their taxes and PRSI here in the same way. Many companies are located just on the other side of the Border in our country. They employ many people on both sides of the Border. They need support. They may not be getting it. They will not be getting this European support through Westminster. Will this scheme be available to a hypothetical company in Strabane that employs 100 people, comprising 50 on either side of the Border? Will such a company be able to go to AIB or Bank of Ireland and, everything else being equal, access this type of fund?

See this speech in context