THE Central Bank insists that its review of the ability of Ireland’s 400 credit unions to withstand further bad loan write-offs is ongoing, despite its decision not to award a contract to a third party to carry out the next phase of analysis.

Without a credit insurance scheme, small business will continue to fail, says Bill Hobbs

TO date, no credit union affiliated to the Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU) has required a single cent of state support.

This mortgage arrears report was cynically spun, writes Bill Hobbs

YOUR financial columnist Bill Hobbs (June 7) tells us the Government-appointed financial regulator Matthew Elderfield, NAMA chairman Frank Daly and Justice Minister Dermot Ahern have “ruled out debt forgiveness for ordinary people”.

Regulator Mathew Elderfield, NAMA chairman Frank Daly and Justice Minister Dermot Ahern have ruled out debt forgiveness for ordinary people. All three raised the spectre of moral hazard without providing any substance to back it up.

BANKING commentator Bill Hobbs is absolutely right when he says that yesterday’s solutions will not solve today’s crisis (May 3).

I FEEL obliged to correct any misunderstandings that may occur as a result of the column by Bill Hobbs (‘Tsunami of debt looms ominously on the horizon’, February 15).

MEMBERS of the Credit Union Development Association (CUDA) told a Dáil committee yesterday it believes the regulation of credit unions should stay within the framework of the existing Central Bank/Department of Finance structure.

IT would be nice for change if your columnist Bill Hobbs (November 9) was to write something positive about credit unions, instead of always bashing them.

THE ‘solutions’ offered by Bill Hobbs (December 2) that AIB and Bank of Ireland (BoI) be nationalised, and that yet another State-appointed agency be created for oversight purposes, are indeed extraordinary.

HALF of homeowners who purchased in the last three years will be left owing more than their houses are worth.

THE savings of the country’s two million credit unions members would be guaranteed by law under a proposed compensation scheme.

CREDIT unions should be able to offer longer term loans to customers according to a report from the Department of Finance.