Strip services from rural towns and villages and depopulation will follow warns TD

Sinn Féin TD for Sligo, Leitrim, West Cavan and South Donegal, Martin Kenny TD, has criticised the proposals from Ulster Bank to close branch offices all over the country.

Deputy Kenny said: “The closure of these branches, about a fifth of the branches Ulster Bank has in the country, is another nail in the coffin of rural areas.

“In the face of government inaction, more and more essential services are being withdrawn from rural Ireland and the claim that online functions replace real, live human beings in a branch office, is laughable in parts of my own constituency with a lack of broadband coverage," he pointed out.

“In my constituency and surrounding counties, there are branches closing in Ardara, Co Donegal; Arva, Co Cavan; Ballymote, Co Sligo; Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan;  Cootehill, Co Cavan; Edgeworthstown, Co Longford and Raphoe, Co Donegal.

“If this government and its Fianna Fáil props continue with their policies of stripping all facilities from small towns and villages, depopulation will follow and the decline of rural Ireland will continue.”