Deirdre Clune (Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister of State for clarifying his approach to the amendment. I have listened to some of the comments made and I agree that the Bill shows that the State is taking a risk with taxpayers' money. We would all love to see more money made available to businesses. People can demonstrate that their businesses are viable but they do not meet the lending criteria of the banks. John Trethowan's report deals with a different type of business that has an historical relationship with a bank and can secure a loan. The legislation deals with new businesses and provides a sum of €150 million.