Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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95. To ask the Minister for Finance if he is satisfied that the main banks are making adequate resources available to facilitate the urgently required house building programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25219/17]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, Government policy is focused on ensuring that all viable small and medium sized businesses have access to an appropriate supply of credit from a diverse range of bank and non-bank sources.  The Deputy will also be aware that, in my role as Minister for Finance, I have no direct function in the relationship between the banks and their customers.  Also, I have no statutory function in relation to the banking decisions made by individual lending institutions at any particular time and these are taken by the board and management of the relevant institution. This includes decisions in relation to products as determined by the banks.

All viable businesses operating in Ireland should have the opportunity to access sufficient finance to meet their enterprise needs in a manner that supports growth and employment in the economy. As the Deputy will be aware, Chapter 3.5 (Ensuring Finance for Growth) of the Action Plan for Jobs 2017 (APJ) sets out a range of commitments to ensure viable SMEs can access appropriate finance at a reasonable cost from both bank and non-bank sources.

In line with Action 62 of the APJ 2017, officials from my Department collate and examine data from AIB and Bank of Ireland on a monthly basis, including data pertaining to the various sectors. Furthermore, my officials meet the banks on a quarterly basis to ensure an informed understanding of the wider SME bank lending environment which assists the development and implementation of policies aimed at ensuring SME access to finance and increased competition in the SME lending sector.

I note that the data published by the Central Bank of Ireland in its Quarterly Trends in Business Credit and Deposits series shows that new lending to Property Investment/Development enterprises for 2016 totalled €1.3 billion in drawdowns, a growth of €589 million when compared to 2015.

The Deputy may also wish to note that in the social housing market, in line with the commitment contained in "Rebuilding Ireland", the NTMA and key Government Departments are examining the feasibility of establishing a funding vehicle in conjunction with the private sector, which could facilitate investment in social housing.

Separately, ISIF is making a very substantial contribution to new private housing supply which is critical in terms of meeting the pent up demand for housing across all sectors of the market. In line with its double bottom line mandate, ISIF has already invested in a number of significant financing platforms and projects in the construction sector, and is actively examining other investment opportunities. 

The Government remains committed to the SME sector, including those involved in Property Investment/Development, and sees it as the key engine of ongoing economic growth.