Bank of Ireland, Ulster Bank and AIB to face Jobs Committee Questioning

Representatives from Bank of Ireland, Ulster Bank and AIB will attend the meeting of the Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation tomorrow, Tuesday, 15th April 2014 as part of its hearings on access to finance for small and medium sized enterprises.

The schedule for the meeting is:

Session A: 1.45 pm
Richie Boucher, Group Chief Executive, Bank of Ireland;
Session B: 2.30 pm
Jim Brown, Chief Executive, Ulster Bank; and
Session C: 3.15 pm
David Duffy, Chief Executive, Allied Irish Bank

Committee Chairman Damien English TD said: “Our Committee has identified the availability of funding and supports for small and medium sized businesses as a key priority in national efforts to achieve economic recovery. Tomorrow’s meeting is an opportunity for the Committee to be brought up to date on the banks’ commercial lending policies, in particular lending to small and medium sized enterprises. Anecdotally, we have all heard many businesses, particularly small businesses and start-ups, say they are finding it difficult to access credit from banks. At our meeting tomorrow we will have an opportunity to consider how the needs of SMEs, start-ups and micro-enterprises are being met by the banks and discuss progress in providing the necessary credit for businesses to start-up, expand and create much-needed jobs.”

This meeting will start at 1.30pm on Tuesday, 15th April 2014 in Committee Room 2.

Committee proceedings can be followed live here.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the move, through the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.

Media enquiries to:

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

Deputies: Dara Calleary (FF), Áine Collins (FG), Michael Conaghan (LAB) Damien English (FG) (Chairman), Mick Wallace (IND), Seán Kyne (FG), Anthony Lawlor (FG), John Lyons (LAB) (Vice-Chairman), Peadar Tóibín (SF).

Senators: Deirdre Clune (FG), David Cullinane (SF), John Kelly (LAB), Michael Mullins (FG), Feargal Quinn (Ind), Mary White (FF).