Bank of Ireland (BOI) has confirmed that it has taken the decision to close 88 branches in the Republic of Ireland and 15 in Northern Ireland. The branches are mainly self-service locations which do not offer a counter service, the BOI said. The branches are due to close by the end of September, and the bank will announce the locations this morning, after relevant staff have been informed.
The BOI have stated that they have greed a new partnership with An Post, which will offer customers a banking service across more than 900 locations in Ireland. It said that the branches that will close all have a post office within, on average, 500 metres.
However, John O’Connell, General Secretary of the Financial Services Union of Ireland (FSU) has described the decision as “shameful, and an act of betrayal to loyal staff and customers”. He said that the Union called for a moratorium for branch closures until at least the end of 2022, and went on to state that the closure will have a massive impact on SMEs at a time when they are already under severe pressure. He described the announcement as having a detrimental affect on the most vulnerable “as another service is ripped out of your community”.
