Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

May I ask just one final question? There was talk about the closure of Bank of Ireland branches. Bank of Ireland is a commercial operation, so I will not try to change the minds of those who run it. The solution is under our noses. It is not necessarily the post office; it is the credit union. It is a matter of giving full banking capability to credit unions in respect of mortgage business and also providing ordinary, day-to-day banking services in order that people in rural areas would not need to bank in the high street banks any more - the AIBs and Bank of Irelands that are deserting them - but could bank in a community-owned credit union and get all the services there.

The Central Bank needs to review and revise the way views credit unions because when one considers the banking collapse, the credit unions did not collapse. The main associated banks collapsed and, therefore, the community model is actually much more sustainable.