Irish premier calls on AIB to reconsider making 70 branches cashless

Irish premier Micheal Martin has called on AIB to “reconsider” its plan to remove cash services from 70 branches across Ireland, as Sinn Fein called for the Finance Minister to comment on the issue.

There has been sharp criticism from across the political spectrum of AIB’s decision to stop all cash-and-cheque services across 70 of its 170 branches from this autumn.

This means notes, coins, cheques, foreign exchange and bank drafts will not be available in these branches, and ATMs outside the branch where services are changing will be removed.

Speaking to the Irish media in Singapore, the Taoiseach said: “There are significant cohorts of people, businesses and towns across Ireland who need this facility, and I do believe AIB and the banks should take notice of this.”

He added that the Government would be engaging with the banks on the issue.

In response, AIB said in a statement to the PA news agency that it “is aware of the Taoiseach’s comments and we are happy to engage with him”.

TDs and senators from both the Government and opposition have criticised the move by AIB.

Speaking on the plinth at Leinster House, Sinn Fein TD Eoin O Broin called on Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe to make a statement about the withdrawal of cash services from AIB branches.

“The idea that a bank that has received almost 21 billion euros of taxpayers’ money, that is 60% owned by the state, would treat the public in this way, I think, is shocking.

“What’s even more outrageous is Paschal Donohoe, the Minister for Finance, who is responsible for the state’s interest in this bank, is yet to make a comment on it.

“We need to hear from Paschal Donohoe.

“We need to hear what his view of this is, and what he’s going to do to convince AIB to reverse this decision.

“The minister shouldn’t need me to tell him that he needs to make a public statement on the matter.

“He should have been out in advance of this.”

Paraphrasing an advertising slogan of AIB, Fianna Fail senator Timmy Dooley said: “AIB purports to back brave, but it’s clear from this decision all they’re backing is their own profit margins.

“By removing cash services from branches, they are leaving rural businesses and rural people in the lurch as they force them to either make more use of online services or to drive long distances to lodge or access cash.

“Cash services are to be removed from their branches in Shannon, Ennistymon, Kilrush, Killaloe and Kilkee.

“This means a business owner they purportedly back to be brave will be forced to travel around an hour to access cash services in Ennis.”

Fine Gael TD Michael Ring said of the decision: “In my own county, branches in Ballinrobe and Claremorris will be removing cash, ATM and cheque services, and this comes on top of other bank closures that have occurred in recent years.

“What the banking big wigs fail to realise when they are making these short-sighted decisions is the detrimental impact they have on rural people, who now face long journeys to get to a branch if they wish to access cash services.”

Aontu TD Peadar Toibin said: “Our banking sector is in complete disarray with the withdrawal of KBC and Ulster Bank.

“The market is over-concentrated in the hands of just a few operators.

“This gives the remaining banks enormous supplier power and now they can do what they want.”

An Post said its 920 post offices are continuing to offer the services, six days a week, that AIB has withdrawn.

This includes cash, foreign exchange, and cheque services.

A national advertising campaign with the message ‘Your bank is in your local post office’ is under way, it said.

AIB said in its statement that the average distance to a local An Post office from a repurposed branch is less than 350 metres, and that AIB customers “will continue to have access to cash in over 4,000 ATMs nationwide, including third-party ATMs and up to 25,000 point-of-sale locations, most of which provide cash back”.

A total of 36 AIB branches will go cashless from September 30, with a further 34 AIB branches going cashless from October 22.

A full list of the branches affected by these changes is available on the AIB website.