Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the Chamber and thank him for all he has done in the past year during this crisis. Senator Craughwell was speaking about someone who shows a presence of calm during a crisis and I do not think that there is anyone who has done that better than the Minister over the past year. It has been of great importance that when we have gone through a crisis that no one has experienced before, leadership has shown a calmness and reassurance that we are going to come out of it.

I wish well all the businesses that have opened up today, especially in my own county of Tipperary. It has been an incredibly difficult number of months. While these businesses very much appreciate the support that has been given to them by Government and by the Minister's Department, in particular, with the employment wage subsidy scheme, EWSS, and the Covid restrictions support scheme, CRSS, they want to make their own money, to be able to work, and to have their business. Most people who work in businesses like that, be they retail, restaurants or pubs, treat their business like a family member.They have real passion for what they do. When we emerge from this crisis over the next number of months, the challenge will be moving from the State supporting the businesses to them being able to support themselves, with the backing of banks.

It is on that point I have a particular question with regard to the credit guarantee scheme set up by the Government. Under the scheme, the Government supports businesses that are struggling through the Covid-19 pandemic with a loss of income of 15% or higher by supporting loans up to 80%. There has been low take-up of the scheme. I welcome the fact that the Minister has extended it to the end of the year. However, perhaps he could expand on what options there are to encourage more businesses to take it up. Is it an awareness issue whereby we must promote it more or does the Minister believe that with businesses reopening now and supports altering or finishing, this might provide an opportunity for businesses to take up the scheme? It is a good scheme and it would support many businesses if they chose to take it up.

My native county of Tipperary had the disappointing news from Bank of Ireland that three branches are due to close in Cahir, Cashel and Templemore. All three branches are in the heart of the towns and have provided great service over a long period. Times are changing and people understand that, but the issue is what we can do in the future with buildings such as those that are in the centre of towns. I have written to the chief executive of Tipperary County Council, Mr. Joe McGrath, asking him to consider alternatives such as having remote working hubs in those buildings. Obviously, it is quite difficult for county councils because they have had challenges with regard to funding over the past year or two, but is there an opportunity for the Government to engage with Bank of Ireland about such buildings as options for the Government to purchase in the future and to consider them for remote working hubs? In addition, such closures create more possibilities for either credit unions, and there are some fantastic credit unions in Tipperary, especially in Clonmel, or post offices. Does the Minister envisage opportunities for post offices and credit unions to take over some part of what is left after Bank of Ireland and KBC Bank Ireland leave areas? I believe there are. A large number of people like having that service in their community, and certainly so in Tipperary.

There is a final point I wish to mention. We seem to be in a strange situation at present in terms of mortgages. There are more people applying, and being approved for, mortgages than ever. That is welcome. However, there is the problem that small developers or builders - I am not referring to big developers by any stretch of the imagination - who are building three, four or five houses at a time are struggling to get loans from banks. What does the Minister envisage in the future? Banks are clearly supporting the opportunity for somebody to buy a house, but they are not supporting the opportunity for the builder to build the house. How can we square that circle? There are many complexities in the housing sector and many suggestions have been fired out all week on how simply it can be solved. If that was the case, it would have been solved a long time ago. Certainly, however, banks have a responsibility to support the sector and small builders to start building, especially in areas outside Dublin. I would like to hear the Minister's views on that.