Ireland one of the smallest investment bank borrowers

IRELAND claimed one of the smallest amounts of low-interest loans for infrastructure projects from the European Investment Bank last year.

The EIB, owned by the member states, lent €72 billion last year to part finance projects from renewable energy, roads and schools to funding for small and medium sized businesses.

Spain, Italy and Germany were the biggest borrowers from the Luxembourg-based outfit but Ireland was the seventh lowest, drawing down €241 million or less than 0.3% of the bank’s total lending last year.