The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) has slammed what it calls the “relentless dismantling” of rural banking services, following the announcement that 70 AIB branches will cease cash-related services.

Speaking today (Thursday, July 21) Dermot Kelleher, the president of the association, claimed that AIB is “showing complete disrespect” for its customers.

“Bank branches in rural Ireland have become few and far between in recent years causing all sorts of difficulties, but doing away with basic cheque handling, cash and ATM services in the ones that remain open, is taking things too far,” Kelleher argued.

“The question now arises: What is a bank for?”

According to Kelleher, both business and personal customers of those branches will no longer be able to access cash or cheque services at the counter or through machines.

He also said those branches will not accept or dispense notes, coins, cheques, foreign exchange or bank drafts, while ATMs outside any of those branches will be removed.

“This will affect not only AIB customers but all residents and visitors to the area by denying them access to cash. It will seriously undermine the economies of small towns and rural areas,” Kelleher argued.

“It is all very well saying that the typical customer can manage their banking needs online. However, this is not the case for self-employed people or people trying to run their own businesses.”

For these businesses, Kelleher argued, there is an ongoing need to lodge cheques and to use other banking services involving significant sums of money which are not necessarily available online.

“While An Post offers cheque lodging facilities, this is only available in some branches and the list is very hit and miss,” the ICSA president argued.

“The government cannot continue to ignore the relentless dismantling of banking services in rural Ireland, particularly as the state remains a major shareholder in AIB.

“A lot of effort and expense was put into saving the banking sector in this country, and the government’s commitments to rural Ireland will be measured by how much they are willing to see banking services decimated in rural Ireland,” Kelleher concluded.