ISME critical of Credit Review

SMALL businesses have hit back at the Credit Review Office (CRO) which claims that AIB and Bank of Ireland will fail to meet their €6 billion credit commitments due to a lack of demand for loans.

Small business group, ISME claims banks are not lending adequately to small firms and it has branded the review office a “mouthpiece for the banks”.

Credit reviewer John Trethowan published his office’s fifth quarterly report yesterday and found AIB and Bank of Ireland would not meet their individual targets of providing €3bn of credit to small businesses this year.