BALLYMOTE BANK SHOCK
THERE was widespread shock and anger last week as Ulster Bank confirmed that the Ballymote branch is to close, while also reducing staff in the Sligo branch.
The announcement is part of a 20% cull of branches across the Republic of Ireland. Speaking about the closures and redundancies in Sligo, Gareth Murphy, Senior Industrial Relations Officer with the Financial Services Union said, “Sligo will be hard hit by the scale of the Ulster Bank closures and job losses. The Ballymote branch is earmarked for closure and the bank is intent on reducing staff numbers at its Sligo branch.
“This makes no sense whatsoever and will impact on customers across Sligo. Is the bank expecting the customer base in Ballymote to transfer to Sligo where they intend to have even less staff ? Customers will be badly affected by these cutbacks.
“However, the proposed loss of jobs is our main concern. While a voluntary redundancy scheme will be put in place, we have concerns that the scale of this announcement may require the bank to look for compulsory redundancies which we will resist.
“Our union will work tirelessly to protect as many jobs as possible,” added Mr. Murphy.
Fianna Fáil’s Deputy Eamon Scanlon said the news is a big blow to the town.
“I’m very disappointed. I’ve been a customer of 47 years. I got a shock but I can’t imagine the shock the staff must have got. I know there’s one girl who’s been there for 20 years,” he told The Sligo Champion.
“It’s a big blow to the town. Ballymote is a big town. It covers a large area. I don’t accept this nonsense that there are only 30 or 40 peo- ple using the bank a day. This is a busy branch.
“We don’t like to see any business closing. Ballymote survived well through the recession.”
Deputy Scanlon was unaware of any decision on the future of the bank until he received an email at 2.30pm on Thursday.
“This bank was trading successfully. It’s a building they have invested a lot of money in, they only renovated it last year.”
The branch is due to close in September, with around ten staff now facing uncertainty over their jobs.
Councillor Keith Henry echoed the sentiments of Deputy Scanlon, saying that the bank was constantly busy.
“Certainly to the naked eye the Bank always seemed to be busy with a constant flow of people going through the doors and I’m sure their customers are at a loss to know why their branch had to close” Cllr Henry said.
“The Chief Executive of the bank has used the increase in online banking activity as an excuse to close these branches and while this is be true for some people, not everyone has, wants or knows how to access online banking” the Fianna Fail Councillor said.
“I can only hope that the customers of Ulster Bank rally behind staff in the branch to resist this change. If this closure goes ahead it poses a number of problems in that businesses and customers cannot do simple transactions such as lodgements and withdrawals locally.
“Just like post offices, Garda Stations and family owned shops, Banks were a pillar in the local small town community and this trend of closures across rural Ireland is a rapidly growing worry that needs urgent attention at local and national level” Cllr Henry concluded.
Dara Mulvey, Chairman of South and West Sligo Municipal District Sligo County Council, said Ulster Bank has a responsibility to the local South Sligo community.
“I’m bitterly disappointed. Ulster Bank has a social responsibility to the people of South Sligo. They are turning their back on the people who use this bank such as the businesses, the farmers, everyone,” said Councillor Mulvey.
“This was an extremely busy bank. They offered a great service with great staff. It was always busy. I don’t think closing banks on an average usage figure is fair.
“I’d fear now that businesses are more vulnerable because they have to hold on to more cash, and I fear that the community will now be restricted to just one ATM machine,” he added.