TD slams AIB as Tipp branches hit by new plan
Reacting to the news that Allied Irish Bank will cease to provide a range of services to customers at 70 of their branches nationwide, including four in Tipperary, Deputy Michael Lowry says that services to the customer are now at the bottom of the banking agenda in Ireland.
On September 30 and October 21, AIB branches in Cashel, Roscrea, Carrick-on-Suir and Cahir, along with 66 other branches across the country, will no longer offer cash and cheque services at the counter or through cash machines inside the branch. This means they will not have notes, coins, cheques, foreign exchange or bank drafts available to customers.
They will remove any drop safes and night safes from these branches and, If there is an ATM outside the selected branches, they will be removed.
“In a nutshell, these branches will no longer be providing a banking service to the public that meets their daily needs. They say they will be there to support customers to help them open an account, buy a new home, take out a business or personal loan, or save or invest their money. In other words, they will continue to deal with the money making aspects of banking, but after that customers can engage in robot banking online.
“This is a major blow to individuals and businesses in the towns affected. It is also a significant setback to towns that do not have an alternative bank in which to carry out their business.
“It presents a grave security risk to late night businesses, primarily hospitality and late night shopping and service providers, who depend on night safe banking to securely drop off cash takings. Their alternative now is to travel some 30 miles to their nearest night safe or to bring their daily takings home with them and put their homes and families at risk of break-ins. Opportunistic criminals will be watching every move.
“For Cashel, one of the country’s favourite tourist destinations, which welcomes coach tours daily, there will be no access to ATMs for those visiting the town as Bank of Ireland closed their branch completely some time ago’
Deputy Lowry concluded that the provision of additional services through the Post Office network is a positive move and one that has been sought for some time. However, unless the entire range of services that are being withdrawn by AIB are immediately put in place at Post Offices the public will be left without a workable option to carry out their financial business. ‘This would be a totally intolerable situation.