22 Aug 2012, 17:47
The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure & Reform will consider today’s Central Bank report on bank lending to SMEs when it meets in September.
Committee Chairman Alex White TD commented: “In the light of conflicting statements and reports on the incidence of bank lending to small businesses, I am proposing to hold Committee hearings on this issue in order as far as possible to establish the true position.
“It is striking that the Central Bank report has been so flatly rejected by the banking industry, and there is a need to get to the bottom of this controversy. I will propose that we hear from the Central Bank, and also from representatives of the commercial banks and the SME sector. We will also consider the Mazars report, commissioned by the Department of Finance.
“The availability of credit is essential to small business, and as the Committee responsible for the banking sector we are determined to ensure that there is a full airing of this issue, in the interests of all concerned.”
For further information please contact:
Ciaran Brennan,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 3903
M: 086-0496518
F: +3531 618 4551
Committee Membership
Committee Membership
Deputies
Richard Boyd-Barret, People Before Profit
Michael McNamara, Labour Party
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, Sinn Féin
Michael Creed, Fine Gael
Jim Daly, Fine Gael
Pearse Doherty, Sinn Fein
Stephen Donnelly, Independent
Sean Fleming, Fianna Fáil
Joe Higgins, Socialist Party
Heather Humphreys, Fine Gael
Kevin Humphreys, Labour Party
Peter Mathews, Fine Gael
Mary Lou McDonald, Sinn Fein
Michael McGrath, Fianna Fáil
Olivia Mitchell, Fine Gael
Timmy Dooley, Fianna Fáil
Kieran O’Donnell, Fine Gael
Arthur Spring, Labour Party
Billy Timmins, Fine Gael
Liam Twomey, Fine Gael
Alex White, Labour Party
Senators
Sean D Barrett
Thomas Byrne
Michael D’Arcy
Aideen Hayden
Tom Sheahan
Denis O' Donovan