Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have no role in directing the day-to-day activities of Bank of Ireland or any other bank. It is making arrangements it announced in a very customer unfriendly way. I said I thought it was unnecessary and an example of poor customer relations. It is also true to say, however, that the industry is changing. We are moving towards a cashless society. Sweden has almost gone fully cashless already. We are moving towards a society which is changing in the way it pays its bills and handles cash. The amounts of cash being handled are changing also. As change takes place, elderly and vulnerable people must be looked after by bank staff.

There is a code of conduct on bank customer relations which dates from 2006 and the Central Bank is the authority monitoring its implementation. It is actively pursuing these issues with Bank of Ireland and others and we have assurances that Bank of Ireland will look after elderly and vulnerable customers. I do not know if that means the girl on the floor will go inside the counter and give out money to an elderly person or whether she will go over to a machine and take the money from there. It is not for me to go in and monitor what is happening on the floor of the bank. Services have to be provided in a way that is helpful and protective of the elderly and vulnerable and they must be happy with their service. The Central Bank will monitor that.

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