Longford Leader columnist Mattie Fox: Councillors need to be vocal on Granard bank re-opening
Longford county is suffering terribly by continuing moves by banks to close down offices in as many locations as possible.
Most small towns have suffered.
It’s bad enough when self financed banks close, but when banks such as Bank of Ireland, it would seem, are quietly moving towards closure it should provoke a county wide uprising.
Speculation is rife that the Granard branch, one of 101 locations closed temporarily since March 24, may not re-open.
In neighbouring Roscommon, Bank of Ireland has been accused of ‘dragging its feet’ on the re-opening of its branches in Elphin and Strokestown by Senator Eugene Murphy.
Covid-19 will be blamed for many such instances, unless enough voters, and voters representatives start making noise.
A bank in which the State has had a substantive vested interest, cannot be allowed close without explanation.
It is unacceptable to allow such a move be executed.
Me thinks it’s time county councillors started to be vocal, about something on their doorsteps.
For that, they’d actually deserve photos in the local paper.
Real news.
Explanations must be outlined, and examined before rational public acceptance is agreed.
It cannot happen by sneaky stealth.