Dáil debates

Wednesday, 3 March 2021

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

 

1:40 pm

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank all the Deputies for raising this issue. I understand and accept the impact these bank closures have on the various towns throughout the country and the implications for the towns concerned, for businesses in the towns and for people in general in doing their banking. The 14% shareholding does not give the Government any role in the running of the banks and that has been the position for quite a long time. The Government does not run the banks, nor is it minded to do so. That said, we are committed to rural Ireland and to looking at alternative ways to support those towns through different Government mechanisms and agencies. We are also committed to seeing what we can do to support the An Post network, not just in the context of its deal with Bank of Ireland but, more broadly speaking, to maintain as much of its network as possible across rural Ireland, and to taking other initiatives for investment in such towns under a range of headings.

We are committed not just to regional development but to rural development in terms of Government funding of a range of initiatives, some of which have been announced already and more of which will be announced in the coming weeks.

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