By the end of 2017, SBCI had facilitated over € in loans to SMEs. The Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) also participates in the SME finance market, including by taking direct equity positions in companies and facilitating greater access to credit. At the end of 2017, ISIF had € in commitments to SME-orientated projects.
In the first half of 2018, ISIF invested a further € in non-bank finance providers involved in provision of financing to Irish SMEs. While this synopsis suggests that financing constraints have become a less salient concern in recent years, it is important to recognise that improvements in access to finance for Irish SMEs have been uneven.