Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Finance the total number of referrals to the Credit Review Office; the number of appeals that have overturned the original decision; the breakdown of this number by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41563/12]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I have been informed by the Credit Review Office that it has received 202 formal applications since the establishment of the Office. Of these 10 are proceeding through the review process and 19 have been abandoned or withdrawn leaving 173 cases which in which the Office issued a recommendation. The Credit Review Office recommended that the applicant was granted credit in 95 cases or 55% and upheld the bank decision in the remaining 78 cases or 45%. I have previously spoken about the importance of challenging decisions to refuse credit and this overturn rate should encourage any SME or farm which is refused credit to seek the assistance of the Credit Review Office.

The geographical breakdown of the cases is as follows: