Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I recognise what Mr. Brian Hayes said about the service to customers, personal services, etc. It must be emphasised that the customer must be served. The banks will become irrelevant if the customer cannot be served.

From the point of view of these Houses, there must be a greater emphasis on the fact that members of the Houses are persons of special interest in terms of security and I do not know how that came about. To the best of my knowledge, I have never created a security problem, at least not so far, but I know that there have been security problems in the banks, and the banking system, and I am not so sure that the customer was always at fault. I look forward to a response to what I just said.

The thing that I most want to complain about is the anticipated opening hours of banks. First, it is not possible to conduct all work without calling into a bank, having a face-to-face meeting, talking to a person or establishing a contact. That used to be a big part of security once upon a time.

The opening hours are so restricted that it is virtually impossible for people who are at work, on shift work or whatever the case may be to arrange to meet their bank.

A large sector of the security relating to the banks seems now to have transferred to the shoulders of customers. It is a regular occurrence, particularly from the point of view of Members of these Houses, that online transactions are interrupted by some security guru or other on the basis they want you to repeat whatever information has been inputted and it will be verified in due course. It is annoying, especially if one is in a hurry.

A large number of bank branches throughout the country have closed. I do not know how it will be possible to continue in business without a number of banks available, open and dealing with customers. Even the ATM in Leinster House was closed and taken away. I do not know why. The excuse I was given was that it was not making money. I know of a few other ATMs that were not making money because the money was being extracted with a JCB. It would not normally happen in the Houses of Parliament. I am anxious to get a reply to that issue. I would like an indication as to when it can be restored because it was a safe area for people to access in a city that is becoming increasingly unsafe to access ATMs in the open air.

I was recently approached by a customer who had a golden years account for many years. I am not talking about myself. The man in question transferred his account from Ulster Bank to Bank of Ireland and the same account does not apply. What is wrong with cherishing customers who were other banks' customers until now and had to change over because their bank is leaving the market? The over-55s and holders of those particular accounts are entitled to treatment equal to that they have come to expect.

I also wish to talk about phone contact. Every customer needs to be able to contact his or her bank and not via a call centre or some other circuitous system whereby the emphasis is on no contact. Customers should be able to contact their banks. I know the lack of contact does not apply to everybody. There are cherished customers of the banks who get that contact all the time. All customers should be cherished customers. We all contribute to keeping the banks alive.