Petition launched against AIB’s removal of cash services from Claremorris branch
AONTÚ Mayo representative Paul Lawless has criticised the AIB's decision to change the Claremorris bank to a cashless branch as he launches a local petition to lobby both the AIB and government who have a majority stake in the bank.
He has been meeting with business owners in the town who have voiced their frustration at the move.
Said Mr. Lawless: “AIB operates by license from the State yet unilaterally deletes cash availability from customers. This is not good enough.
“AIB has shown complete disregard for the Irish people by removing cash services in 70 branches.
“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. As families struggle across the country, AIB has shown that it is only committed to increasing shareholder dividends and not to its customers
“Trust in both politics and the banking sector is at a remarkably low level. As we enter financially uncertain times it’s vital that the government try to re-establish trust in institutions. The government must intervene and ensure AIB does not proceed with this conversion to cashless services.”
Mr. Lawless continued: “It was only in recent years where towns like Ballyhaunis and Kiltimagh both had two fully functioning banks in each town. All of those branches closed in recent years and their customers were told they would have to go to Claremorris. Now customers are being told they will have to go to Tuam. Where next, Athlone or Galway?
“I have only begun my petition and visited many businesses in Claremorris already. One publican told me that they were only just told to move out of Ulster Bank only to move down the road to the AIB bank where they are now told they can not avail of cash facilities. Another publican expressed concern regarding the removal of the night safe facilities, adding traveling to Tuam places personnel in vulnerable positions, while leaving cash in premises is not safe either.
“Publicans have suffered enough with government neglect, Covid and now banks making work more difficult for them.”
Another business owner spoke about the impact this will have on the cost of doing business. Many businesses will be forced into using private money management providers to manage money, adding to the increasing cost of business at a time of peak inflation.
A coffee shop owner talked about the effects this move will have on smaller businesses. She talked about the increased costs to transfer money privately. She can't see how she would be able to send two members of staff to Tuam during work hours. The risk of theft was raised again here.
Added Mr. Lawless: “I will be meeting with business owners across Claremorris, Ballyhaunis and Kiltimagh along with surrounding villages and asking them to sign the petition to have this regressive, expensive and unsafe move overturned by the AIB or the majority shareholder in the government.
“Feel free to reach out to me by phone, email or my Facebook page if you want to help. In the run up to the general election I spoke about the importance of voting for somebody in the south and east of the county and now AIB won't have a functioning bank in the entire Claremorris and Swinford electoral areas.
“It is frustrating reading reports of government TDs in this country complaining about this move by AIB to close cash services which they are in a position to reverse as the government has such a huge shareholding in AIB. This is a case of players on the pitch choosing instead to be a hurler on the ditch.”