Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I encourage the Minister to look at the reforms that could be brought in quickly. The Minister will be aware that the credit unions have again topped the customer experience ranking for the eighth year in a row and they have even improved on their scores in the process. They are also continuing to innovate and adapt to changing circumstances. For example, the cultivate programme offers loans for things that farmers need, such as machinery, improving farm buildings or helping with cash flow. In west Cork the Bantry Credit Union recently bought the former Bank of Ireland building, which is symbolic of the changing retail and financial landscape, especially in rural areas. Those are just some of the positive and dynamic things associated with credit unions. I ask the Minister to imagine all they will be able to do when the financial regulations allow them to provide increased services and competitive loans to families, farms and SMEs.

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