BoI to seek injunction in cash delivery row

A dispute between Bank of Ireland and Brinks Allied that saw cash services to 89 ATMs and about 48 branches being disrupted will…

A dispute between Bank of Ireland and Brinks Allied that saw cash services to 89 ATMs and about 48 branches being disrupted will come before the High Court tomorrow.

The bank yesterday accused the company of "reneging on its contractual obligations". The dispute arose after Brinks Allied sought a significant change in its contract with Bank of Ireland.

It is understood from sources that Brinks Allied has been seeking to substantially transfer liability for losses during robberies to the bank.

The company is also thought to be seeking changes in its contracts with the banks to reflect the increased cost of security measures in transferring cash around the State.

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Brinks Allied is responsible for cash deliveries to 48 of the bank's Dublin branches and about half its network of off-site ATMs.

Bank of Ireland claimed it received a letter seeking a change in the contract last Wednesday, and by Friday Brinks Allied said that unless the bank agreed to the changes service would be withdrawn.

The action began on Monday, said the bank, and was significantly stepped up yesterday.

A spokesperson for Bank of Ireland told ireland.com that contingency plans were in place to keep ATMs stocked.

"All of our branch ATMs are fine at this time and the retail ATMs - those in shops, garages and shopping centres - are unaffected," she said.

"Just over 20 of the off-site ATMs, those not attached to a branch, are out of cash at this time," she added.

She pointed out that many customers also had other options. "Our customers can use other banks' ATMs or get cash back on a laser card. We don't think that ATMs running out is a major issue at the moment,"she said.