A Connemara community group has called on the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Ms Harney, to intervene in the row over withdrawal of mobile banks from Galway and Mayo.
Over 1,000 signatures have been collected in Rossaveal, Inverin, Tully, Rosmuc, Carna and Kilkieran protesting over the decision by Bank of Ireland to abandon the mobile bank service from April 16th. The bank says that the decision was taken because the service operated by four mobile units was no longer viable, although it has declined to provide statistics to back up this claim.
Mr Jim Larkin, a PD local election candidate in Co Galway and a member of the Coiste Phobail Ros a Mhíl (Rossaveal), has accused the Bank of Ireland of engaging in a "passive type of cartel", and claims that the company is passing over the business in these areas to Allied Irish Banks. "This amounts to an unscrupulous act of greed," Mr Larkin said.
Allied Irish Banks has branches in Connemara, and also has one mobile unit working from its Westport, Co Mayo, branch.
This serves Achill twice a week and Louisburgh and Leenane once a week. It says it has no plans to discontinue this service.
The Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Mr Ó Cuív, has asked the credit union movement to introduce a service to replace the mobile units, for those living in isolated areas of the two counties.
He has asked the Irish League of Credit Unions to come up with proposals.
Mobile banks were introduced in the 1970s, but were withdrawn from many counties seven years ago.