Credit study contradicts itself, say bankers

The Irish Banking Federation (IBF) claims there are “fundamental weaknesses” with the Central Bank report which found small businesses here faced some of the most challenging credit conditions in the eurozone.

IBF public affairs director Felix O’Regan says the federation intends to conduct a detailed analysis of the report over the next week and will release a comprehensive response to its findings.

A spokesperson said: “But from what we have seen, we are more concerned than ever, based on what these two Central Bank economists have concluded, and what the Mazars report has concluded.”