Banks Not Lending And Hurting Jobs
Dublin South West TD Seán Crowe speaking in response to the Central Bank report that found that Irish banks reject more business loan applications than any other state in the euro zone except Greece The report drawn up by two economists concluded that small and medium businesses in Ireland are twice as likely to have a loan application turned down as the average .across the region. Crowe said not enough is being done by Government to address the failure of banks to support local enterprise and said that Economic Management Council, despite its rhetoric, that jobs and business are far down the agenda at their meetings.
Dublin South West Sinn Féin TD Seán Crowe said;
The Central Bank report published this morning found that Irish banks reject more business loan applications than any other state in the euro zone except Greece, with small and medium businesses in Ireland twice as likely to have a loan application turned down as the average across the region.
“The findings of the Central Bank report entitled, ‘Irish SME Credit Supply and Demand: Comparisons across the Surveys and Countries’ confirms what Sinn Féin and others have been consistently been saying.
“Despite the huge investment of public money into the Irish banking system, and regardless of the fact that the Government is its major shareholder, banks continue to fail businesses and homeowners.
“While Sinn Féin has supported the Government’s proposals on Credit Guarantees and Microenterprises not enough is being done to address the failure of banks to support local enterprise and give value for the significant public investment.
“The government has claimed that job creation and enterprise are central to its policy, yet the Minister for Jobs and Enterprise does not sit on the Economic Management Council, the Body that meets with the banks. Despite the rhetoric it is clear that jobs and business are far down the agenda at these meetings.
“Clearly Irish banking policies are being directed by the European Central Bank (ECB) which is forcing massive deleveraging and reducing investment. The Government is again slavishly following the direction of the EU and failing to stand up for the needs of local enterprise or of tax payers.
“It is time that the Government started to use its position as major shareholder and ensured that the billions of public money invested into banking sector is used for the good of our citizens through investment in enterprise and employment.” opportunities.”