Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 124: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when a procedure will enable an application to be made for the loan guarantee to be made. [16861/10]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Work is underway within my Department on the examination of a possible scheme of loan guarantees. This is in line with one of the recommendations contained in the first Mazars report on credit availability. The purpose of this examination is to assess the contribution such a scheme might make to alleviating difficulties being experienced by companies, particularly by SMEs, in accessing finance in the context of the range of measures already taken by the Government for this purpose. Key concerns being addressed include the extent to which such a scheme would increase lending to SMEs (as against enhancing security for the banks) and the extent of taxpayer exposure. The study is nearing completion.