Abandoned by Bank of Ireland!

This morning an article (Irish) in the on-line publication Tuairisc.ie reports yet another retrograde step in the service provided by the Bank of Ireland to its customers.

There have been many accounts in the media of their unwillingness to deal face to face with customers wishing to withdraw money at their branches. Now it appears that in replacing their ATM machines they are discontinuing the linguistic choices available on these machines. From now on these will be monolingual.

According to the article this means that the only ATMs remaining to recognise the National Language (no matter how low the apparent demand) are those in the Applegreen petrol stations. These have no connection with the Bank of Ireland.

Bank of Ireland have stated that only about 1% of users use the Irish language facility but state they are unable to say in what parts of the country are the highest users.

There are four of these that I use frequently (two or three times per month) which are deep in the Gaeltacht and now it appears that the policy of the Bank of Ireland is to deny the people of my area - and any Gaeltacht area - to use their facilities in their own language.

I look forward to the time when the Central Bank authorises our local Credit Union to issue cheque books and other banking services so I can move my own monies fully to its care.

I'm sure some of the Language organisations have accounts with the Bank of Ireland. I wonder how many will use the muscle to advise the bank, and indeed other Banks, of their opinions in this matter

#Gaeilge @bankofireland @ceartateanga 

A voice in the wilderness or a call to arms?

"... there is absolutely no commitment at either political or administrative level to balanced regional development, nor is there any worthwhile plan to address rural decline..."

Seosamh Ó Cuaig, is a veteran activist for basic rights, particularly though not exclusively in the Conamara and West Galway districts. He has written a thoughtful letter to editors in local newspapers throughout Ireland. It certainly reflects the position of abandonment that rural residents feel as facilities, Garda Stations, Banks, Post Offices, Basic Government Service and even schools are withdrawn from their historic communities.

"...No worthwhile plan to address rural decline..."

It has been published in some local newspapers in Waterford, Cavan, Westmeath, Roscommon and Galway. It's aim as Seosamh says is to encourage a sorely needed discussion.

Cill Chiaráin, Conamara, County Galway, A chara, The deal struck between the DUP and the British Government has a clear lesson for the people of Rural Ireland. (By Rural Ireland I mean all the areas outside the cities as outlined by the CEDRA Report, which was chaired by Pat Spillane.) We, living in these areas, need a similar strategy to wring concessions from a system which is unduly centred on Greater Dublin. In April, Paddy McGuinness highlighted the enormity of the problem when he announced he would not be seeking reappointment to the chair of the Western Development Commission after four years in the post: “I believe strongly that there is absolutely no commitment at either political or administrative level to balanced regional development, nor is there any worthwhile plan to address rural decline,” he said. I spent two terms as an Independent on Galway County Council, three terms on the Board of Údarás na Gaeltachta, as well as being a member of the Western Regional Authority and of the Border Midland and Western Assembly. Early on I realised that most of our efforts were in vain. Indeed, at one meeting of the Western Regional Authority I suggested that we should all resign together to expose the whole charade. Pessimists amongst us say that the power is in Dublin and that we can do nothing about it. Yes, but the balance of power could be in Rural Ireland. Imagine if we organised a movement and got 10 committed TDs elected on a carefully crafted rural platform. The days of majority Government in Ireland are gone. Our 10 TDs could very well be the kingmakers after the next election. Seosamh Ó Cuaig

If anyone of here is interested in the idea please put forward your views as a response to this or contact Seosamh directly per email ocuaig@hotmail.com.

As is so often said "something must be done!" This is something...