Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank Ms McDonagh and Mr. Kelly for attending and for their submission to the committee. I have three questions about bank closures, staff and the relationship with An Post. In my constituency of Wicklow, Bank of Ireland has decided to close three branches in Carnew, Tinahely and Rathdrum. They are three vibrant and strong communities in south Wicklow. Many rural towns and villages have been given a new lease of life with working from home, and many companies are saying that people can work from home permanently. It brings an added vibrancy to those towns and villages, and brings greater footfall.

However, the bank's decision in that area is a blow to that part of Wicklow. Customers and businesses there have an intergenerational relationship with those bank branches. Businesses have had a relationship with the bank for three or four generations. The cluster of banks Bank of Ireland is going to remove from that area will deprive the area of a basic necessity for a community, which is a bank branch in the locality. It is at a time when those areas need that flexibility, support and the continued relationship they have built up with the bank over generations. Flexibility and support are needed by many local businesses and communities as we emerge from Covid. They are under tremendous pressure.

I understand the pressures Bank of Ireland is under with online banking. The bank drove that as well, because it asked people to go online and it provided that facility. I understand the pressures of that, but Bank of Ireland has removed branches from areas that do not have a very good broadband connection, particularly in rural parts of south Wicklow. That is a problem. The bank is expecting people to use online banking, but they are in areas that do not have good broadband at present.

Will Bank of Ireland reassess the closure of some rural branches based on the positive impact, if there can be a positive impact, that Covid might have on those rural towns and communities and the Government's policy on towns first and the drive towards the regeneration and revitalisation of rural towns and villages? It could even be for a reduced number of hours. Could the bank look at all those rural branches and especially that cluster in Wicklow? The bank has created a void in Wicklow where people have no bank branch at all. National broadband is being rolled out over the next two to three years. Would the bank consider holding back on closing some of those branches until that banking catchment has high-quality access to broadband, to bridge the digital divide that exists whereby people do not have access to broadband?

The third issue is the staff. Does the bank provide an opportunity to staff in those branches to upskill to other areas within the bank, such as the back-office systems, IT operations or other developing areas of banking as the banking model changes? Is that the first option the bank would offer to those staff?

My last question relates to An Post. We have all received communications from the postmasters. Bank of Ireland suggests there is an offering in that regard, whereby An Post could provide that offering for transactions. Will the bank be directly involved in those negotiations with An Post? Many of the postmasters tell us that the return they get from offering those services is inadequate. We are seeing bank branches closing down and unless the postmasters get a return for providing that service, we will see rural post offices close down as well. If An Post is to provide those services, it must be adequately resourced and paid for doing so.