Ulster Bank accused of ‘giving two fingers’ to its customers

A COUNCILLOR has accused Ulster Bank of “giving the two fingers” to its customers, following a suggestion for its former premises in Tallaght village to be used as a community facility.

Speaking at the recent Tallaght Area Committee meeting, committee chairman Cllr Mick Duff (Ind), took exception to a suggestion that South Dublin County Council should purchase the Tallaght village property.

Cllr Teresa Costello (FF) tabled a motion at the meeting where she asked the council to consider purchasing the property and bringing it into use as a centrally-located community centre.

“I see it as an excellent opportunity to get some form of a community facility slap-bang in Tallaght village,” Cllr Costello told the committee.

“Generally, when I have my clinic in Tallaght village on a Saturday, the amount of people who pop in and there’s nothing really there for them in the village, I don’t think.

“I do think it’d be nice for the council to purchase this, and it would be of huge benefit.”

Cllr Duff, however, took issue with this from the perspective of purchasing the property from Ulster Bank and therefore giving money to a company whose practices he disagreed with.

“I am not espoused towards rewarding Ulster Bank for departing and leaving us high and dry, and leaving their customers high and dry,” he said.

“I really don’t want to see our hard-earned money being given to an organisation or company that effectively gave the two fingers to its customers.”

He added that he came to this opinion as he had been made aware of issues some Ulster Bank customers had experienced when trying to transfer their accounts to other banks.

“I want to see a business going in, if and when it does go up for sale, if there is something going into it,” said Cllr Duff.

Cllr Costello, speaking at the end of the discussion about her motion, commented: “I don’t care about Ulster Bank. They’re gone. They’re the past. The community is the future.

“Anything I can swing for Tallaght or get for Tallaght, I will happily take to contribute to our community.”

A spokeswoman for South Dublin County Council confirmed at the meeting that the former Ulster Bank premises is not currently on the market.

“If it does come up for sale, it would be up to the asset management section to purchase it,” she explained.

“If they do purchase it on behalf of South Dublin County Council, then obviously its use will have to be decided.

“We do have facilities in the Tallaght area, community facilities, and if there are requests down the line, they can be looked at then.”

In February 2021, Ulster Bank confirmed its plans to withdraw from the Irish market on a phased basis.

The Ulster Bank branch in Tallaght closed on April 21 last, along with 62 other branches around the country, as the bank completed its withdrawal process.