Banking cutbacks add to the decline of our rural towns

Madam Editor,

With the recent announcements by a number of Irish banks, of the reduction of counter services, shutting down some branches and generally withdrawing services in the regions, is hastening the decline of rural Ireland as we know it.

With the introduction of reduced services and the closure of bank branches in rural towns like Ballymote, Tubbercurry, Ballyhaunis, Kiltimagh and Ballinrobe, the writing is on the wall for the rural way of life.

With the closing down in recent years of so many shops, pubs, post-offices, Garda stations, credit unions, co-op head offices, food manufacturing units, health services and government departments in rural areas, the subsequent job loss causes untold stress and hardship for families in the regions.

Some emigrate to foreign shores or move to the cities and larger towns.

With billions of euro spent in recent years in bailing out the bondholders and ailing banks, which are owned by the people, and paying our political masters in Europe whenever they came calling during the recent recession, this is a bitter pill to swallow.

The inconvenience people will experience in travelling to the nearest large town to speak face to face with a bank official, and do their business across the counter, instead of trying to locate their pin number to bring a machine to life in their local branch, leaves an awful lot to be desired.

The elderly population and the disabled are particularly affected, as they are bullied into trying to come to terms with modern technology, which they don’t trust.

Whatever happened to client respect and the age old maxim ‘that the customer is always right’. Isolating a large number of loyal rural dwellers and bank cus- tomers of long standing, is not good business going forward. Machines break down - causing long queues, anger and frustration among customers - and can never replace a person behind the counter with a welcoming smile and friendly attention, that puts the clients needs front and centre.

Some people will say that the old ways are dead, that this is progress, and the way of the future. Maybe so, but somehow I wouldn’t always ‘’bank’’ on it. Sometimes the old ways are best.