- Bulletin 26-2: IMD World Competitiveness Rankings 2026
- ESRI publishes new research on SME Financing
- ESRI publishes new research on AI adoption among Irish SMEs
- Bulletin 26-1: Public Investment in Transport Infrastructure: A Competitiveness and Productivity Perspective
- Appointment of new Chair of the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council
- Bulletin 25-5: Benchmarking the Performance of Ireland’s Public Administration, 2024
- NCPC Welcomes Publication of Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan
- Budget 2026 and Competitiveness: Navigating Uncertainty
- NCPC Welcomes Government's Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity
- Call for Expressions of Interest - Member of the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council
- Bulletin 25-4: IMD World Competitiveness Rankings
- Ireland's Competitiveness Challenge 2025
- The Chair presents to the second annual Competitiveness Summit of Ministers hosted by the Taoiseach
- Bulletin 25-3: The Competitiveness Implications of Post-Pandemic Learning Losses
- Bulletin 25-2: Re-estimating Ireland’s International Competitiveness Performance
- Retrospective Review, 2020-2023
- NCPC's South-East Regional Seminar
- Bulletin 25-1: Developments in Ireland's National Productivity Statistics
- The Government Response to Ireland’s Competitiveness Challenge 2024
- Budget 2025 and Competitiveness: Investing in Ireland’s Future Prosperity
- NCPC Chair attends the Competitiveness Summit
- Ireland's Competitiveness Challenge 2024
- Bulletin 24-4 IMD World Competitiveness Rankings
- Bulletin 24-3 Competitiveness and the Housing Market in Ireland
- NCPC's Mid-West Regional Seminar
- NCPC Welcomes DETE-ESRI Joint Economic Research Programme Seminar
- Bulletin 24-2 Ireland’s Competitiveness and Productivity Framework
- ESRI Publish Working Paper of DETE ESRI Joint Research Programme
- Bulletin 24-1 Re-estimating Ireland’s International Innovation Performance
ESRI publishes new research on SME Financing
The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) published a new paper alongside the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (DETE) titled: “SME Financing in Ireland Revisited: Exploring the Long Shadow of the Financial Crisis”. This paper highlights that while the Irish economy has since recovered from the effects of the financial crisis, small and medium sized firms continue to feel its negative effects in the credit finance market.
The paper utilises European Central Bank SAFE (Survey on the Access to Finance of Enterprises) data to underscore how the post-crisis banking sector contraction led to higher interest rates, thus suppressing demand for bank credit and increasing SME resilience on trade credits. This research implies that to combat the ongoing structural challenges to the credit market led by the financial crisis, policies must priorities increasing competition and lowering the cost of financing.
This research leads into a similar paper published by ESRI and DETE; “Irish Small Firm Financing, Where Are We 20 Years Since the Financial Crisis?”. This paper investigates the heterogenous trends in credit access for micro, small and medium sized firms since the financial crisis utilising ECB SAFE data. This paper emphasises the challenges that micro, small and young firms in particular face in the Irish credit market relative to medium-sized Irish and euro area firms. The findings from this paper suggest that encouraging alternative financing options through microfinance institutes, digital disruptors or non-bank lenders may decrease the relatively high barriers to credit that Irish SME’s face compared to their euro area counterparts.
Both papers highlight that neglecting prioritising access to finance through competition and credit rate reductions would suppress growth, investment, and research and development for SMEs in Ireland.
The papers are available at the links below:
SME Financing in Ireland Revisited: Exploring the Long Shadow of the Financial Crisis
Irish Small Firm Financing, Where Are We 20 Years Since the Financial Crisis?
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