John Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I very much appreciate what Senator Higgins is trying to achieve with her amendment but this is about putting in place an appropriate scheme to access finance for SMEs. I want to flag an issue that I have encountered. I will not name it, but I refer to a business involved in the hospitality sector across several counties which has made applications through similar schemes, namely, the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland, SBCI, future growth loan and the Covid credit guarantee scheme. The business was refused by two banks for the schemes. It appealed it to the Credit Review Office, which found in favour of the business and instructed the banks to provide the loans, yet the banks have still not done so. That seems to defeat the purpose of our schemes and what we are trying to do here as a Government, which is to provide finance to small and medium enterprises. It also defeats the purpose of the Credit Review Office. If it is there, it must be able to make recommendations that are actually implemented. I seek reassurance from the Minister of State that we can actually tackle this. It is very important, particularly as we come out the other side of this Covid crisis, that we ensure the businesses that are viable and are determined to be such are supported and that we as a Government get what we want implemented by the banks. I would appreciate it if the Minister of State could touch on this matter in his reply.