Ulster Bank's "Sustainable Banking Report", released on Monday, shows that 65 per cent of its active customers are now using a digital platform for their banking. This includes almost 40 per cent of customers who are using its mobile app.

The report, which Ulster says outlines its attempts to make banking “simpler”, says it recorded more than “63,000 digital activations” in 2017. During the year, for example, it introduced facial recognition features for IPhoneX users.

“2017 saw the expansion of Ulster Bank’s Bank on Wheels, which provided service to more customers in more rural locations across Ireland, and the introduction of six new community bankers, who provide financial guidance and advice to personal and business customers,” said the bank.