No weekend cash for Mountmellick
THE whole country is complaining about the lack of credit. But in Mountmellick it seems they can't even get the Bank of Ireland to put enough cash into the ATM machine.
At the Town Council monthly meeting last Thursday night, Cathaoirleach Rosemary Whelan said she understood there'd been no money in the ATM for the previous five weekends.
Cllr Marc Connolly: "We are not the back of beyond. We are right in the centre of Ireland."
Cllr Paddy Bracken: "It's a disgrace that Bank of Ireland are doing this. We should not take it lying down."
In a letter to the Council, the Bank of Ireland explained that because of security risks around the country, it had where necessary significantly reduced the amount of cash in ATMs.
Retorted Cllr Pat Bowe: "It's a standard letter. It's a load of 'cobwash.'"
Cllr Connolly: "A town with 4,000 people and an ATM on Saturday night with no money. Maybe some other bank could come in."
Cllr Denis O'Mara noted that many people's wages were paid into the bank. He told of a case where a person had been unable to obtain cash from the ATM on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday. That person, he explained, eventually had to go to Portlaoise for cash and shopped while there.
Cllr Michael Gormley: "Last Friday there was no money (in ATM), and Saturday, and all over the weekend. That's not fair to the people of the town. It does not make sense to have no money in it on Friday night. We should encourage the Credit Union to instal an ATM."
Cllr Bobby Delaney said the local Bank Manager had told him that it was not his order to reduce the amount of ATM cash. It was a nationwide order and was the result of JCB attacks on ATMs.
Added Cllr Delaney: "Our ATM is not regarded as the most vulnerable one, but it's very high on the list."
Cllr Gormley: "How come there's money in the Bank of Ireland in Portlaoise? They should make arrangements for staff to come in on Saturdays and stock it (ATM)."
Cllr Bowe said local business people were complaining about the lack of cash in the ATM at weekends. They were, he stated, afraid that people who had to go to Portlaoise would then shop there.
He added: "It's empty on Thursday or Friday, it should be refilled. If there are visitors to the town - where are they going to get cash? “We need an ATM that works fulltime so that anybody who comes into the town can do business. No money in the ATM is not good for business or Mountmellick's image."
Cathaoirleach Whelan: "I will write a letter to Lower Baggot Street (Bank HQ)."
Cllr Connolly recalled that it was the Town Council which had campaigned for the installation of the ATM. He added: "Most big towns have six or seven ATMs."
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Weather for Portlaoise
Monday 21 May 2012
Today
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