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RollingNews.ie

Ulster Bank to close 22 branches in Ireland with 220 redundancies

The closures are expected to take place in June and September.

ULSTER BANK IS to close 22 of its branches across Ireland.

The closures will mean 220 redundancies at the bank.

These are the branches that will be affected:

  • Dublin (5)  - Dalkey, Donnybrook, Dorset St, Rathmines and Sandyford
  • Cork (4) – Ballincollig, Blackpool, Carrigaline and Fermoy
  • Donegal (2) – Ardara and Raphoe
  • Cavan (2) – Arva and Cootehill
  • Limerick (2) – Castletroy and Newscastlewest
  • Galway (2) – Briarhill and Newcastle
  • Ballyhaunis in Mayo
  • Ballymote in Sligo
  • Carrickmacross in Monaghan
  • Edenderry in Offaly
  • Edgeworthstown in Longford

The closures are expected to take place in June and September.

In a statement Ulster Bank Chief Executive Gerry Mallon said:

Closing a branch is a difficult decision which we do not take lightly, and our branch network remains an important part of how we serve our customers. However, the role of the branch continues to move toward advice and away from day-to-day transactions, with only 10% of our customer interactions now happening in branch.

A spokesperson for the bank said an average of 150 customers used the branches that are closing in the past week, that’s 30 per day.

Mallon added that 62% of customer interactions were digital last year.

“We are adapting to the changing nature of the banking and retail sectors and investing to meet our customers’ evolving needs.”

It said that six new ‘Community Banker’ roles are being provided to help vulnerable customers to transition to digital banking channels.

The bank also plans to provide new new mobile banks which will travel to rural areas to serve customers and that its services with An Post will be extended to include cash and cheque lodgements for personal and business customers.

When the closures are complete, Ulster Bank will be left with 88 branches across the country.

Read: Gardaí recorded almost one million more breath tests than they actually carried out>

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30 Comments
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    Mute Stephen Todd
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    Dec 28th 2016, 3:22 PM

    The headline reads as if we’re flooded with SNAs when we could probably still do with more. It just highlights our severe lack of Garda resources

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    Mute Antoinette Mullen
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    Dec 28th 2016, 3:21 PM

    What is disappointing is the number that are full time posts. 13,000 plus SNA’s sounds great but a high number are working on fragmented hours from as little as 5-6 hours per week. That’s not a sustainable job.

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    Mute Louis Jacob
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    Dec 28th 2016, 5:04 PM

    Totally redundant point. It’s like saying there are more teachers than tram drivers. God I hate enda.

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    Mute Cranium
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    Dec 28th 2016, 4:06 PM

    What a pile of steaming horse manure. The propaganda is strong in this one.

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    Mute Michelle Dermody
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    Dec 28th 2016, 7:38 PM

    Not Every child who is entitled to an SNA receives one. They may receive “half of one ” as in part -time. Some SNA’s are forced to work around 3 or more children with very complex needs in schools and the reality is that they system becomes diluted and unefficient. A person csn not be in two places at once! So ENDA is lying again….

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    Mute Michelle Dermody
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    Dec 28th 2016, 7:41 PM

    The system , inefficient and can. Text predictor doesn’t help!

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    Mute P.J. Nolan
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    Dec 28th 2016, 8:07 PM

    @Michelle Dermody:
    Don’t you mean that’s Enda’s fault as well?

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    Mute Linda Oreilly
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    Dec 28th 2016, 7:53 PM

    Totally misleading…..I would image a large number of those are not full time…years ago when I worked as a SNA, a Seno decided that two children in Junior Infants should share a SNA….so the SNA asked her this question ‘If there is a fire, which child will I pick up, the one with mobility problems or the one who will bolt because I cannot carry 2′..made no difference they still had to share the SNA….

    it s all just spin.

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    Mute David Thomas
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    Dec 28th 2016, 4:08 PM

    Now ye know who to call if anyone is burgled

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    Mute SteveÓ
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    Dec 28th 2016, 6:57 PM

    @David Thomas:

    Batman?

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    Mute Valthebear
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    Dec 29th 2016, 9:43 AM

    Actually being granted the services of an SNA for a child is very difficult and the process very arduous ans bureaucratic. More spin from the gov

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