Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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50. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will meet with the representatives of the financial services union regarding a bank (details supplied) [32208/20]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I emphasised to representatives of Ulster Bank in my meeting yesterday that staff, customers and other stakeholders must be informed promptly about any decisions made under the ongoing strategic review being undertaken by NatWest, Ulster Bank's parent. In particular, I said that staff should be consulted and kept informed of developments in the review.

While I have no role in the review or any commercial decisions arising from the review as these are matters for Ulster Bank and Natwest, I highlighted the critically important role that Ulster bank plays in the Irish retail financial market and in the economy both as a significant employer and in terms of the communities it serves.  With regard to a meeting with the Financial Services Union,  I believe on balance, that it would not be advisable to hold a meeting at this stage. Ulster Bank should continue to engage directly with their staff and their representative as the review progresses.