Bank supports recovery with enterprise week

Bank of Ireland branches in Meath held events to mark its fourth National Enterprise Week, its support and advice initiative for SMEs, last week. The week consisted of advice-led events featuring a number of industry speakers, showcasing opportunities for SMEs in branches and a series of CEO/director breakfasts. A selection of businesses showcasing across branches in Meath are as follows: In Kells branch, some of the businesses selling their wares include long-established local drapery store, The Premier House and Kilbeg Dairy Delights. Also there were Usher's Auction Rooms, displaying a selection of antiques. Florist Mairead Gogan of Something Special was featuring some of her blooms in the Trim branch. According to Niall Flanagan, commercial manager, Bank of Ireland, Navan, the initiative has been running for the past two years in recognition of the pivotal role that SMEs have to play in the recovery of the Irish economy." They are the backbone of local communities and will be essential to the rejuvenation of the Irish economy. We have an important role to play in providing finance and support to these businesses. During our last National Enterprise Week held in November 2010, over 3,800 business people attended 110 events countrywide and nearly 2,000 businesses displayed their wares in our branches," he said. He said the bank remained fully committed to its SME plan in which it outlined its objective to make a minimum of €3bn of lending available to SMEs in each of 2010 and 2011 as an integral part of its business strategy. "We have no capacity restrictions in lending to SMEs. We also continue to actively promote the services of the Credit Review Office," Mr Flanagan said.