Irish banks not playing ball on credit-minister

Ireland's banks are not delivering on their promise to loosen credit to small and medium size businesses in return for state rescue packages, Minister for Trade and Commerce Billy Kelleher said on Friday.

"Many business owners are simply not applying for credit at the moment ... because they are afraid of being rejected or because the personal guarantees being sought are too high" Kelleher said.

He said banks were "not playing ball" despite the conditions attached to state help including a guarantee for bank liabilities worth some 400 billion euros last year, capital injections this year and plans to set up a "bad bank".