Members of the public and SMEs are invited to contribute to a public consultation on the role of the Credit Review Office and how it can be improved. You can email your suggestions to croassessment@finance.gov.ie, the closing date is the 21st of December.

Submissions could be put forward in relation to:

The review process– Does the CRO process work from the viewpoint of the borrower? What changes should be made to it? What more could be done to increase the number of reviews?

The remit of the CRO – Does the CRO do all the things that it should to assist the flow of credit to SMEs? Should its remit be expanded and extra powers be granted, and into what areas? Where should the CRO be positioned in the overall structure of State advice and assistance to SMEs? Would a s pecific link to the Central Bank or to Community Enterprise Boards assist in improving accessibility to the service? Should the thresholds for review be increased? Is the charging mechanism appropriate?