Age Action Ireland have come out strongly against the news that 100 Bank of Ireland branches will be cash-free by the end of the year.
Updated: 14.32
Bank of Ireland has been accused of discriminating against the elderly after announcing that 100 of its branches will be cash-free by the end of 2017.
Customers will not be able to access coin or foreign exchange services within those 100 branches by Christmas, with a limit of €1,300 on withdrawals from self-service machines.
The bank told the Irish Independent that it plans to move to an 'advice and self-service' model.
Justin Moran of Age Action Ireland is against the move.
"The majority of people aged 65 and over have literally never been online," he said. "They're not going to pick up online banking at this point.
"Many of them want to do their financial business over the counter, they want to do it with bank staff they know and trust; with whom they have relationships.
"We'd be worried that thousands of older people are going to be left behind as Bank of Ireland leads and as other banks follow trying to push people into doing as much of their business online as possible."
A Bank of Ireland spokesperson told JOE: "Customers will continue to be provided with a comprehensive range of products and services, the ability to lodge and withdraw cash from easy to use self-service devices and access to online and 365 phone services.
"This will also enable greater availability of branch staff to provide personalised financial and banking advice. While foreign currency exchange and coin transaction services will no longer be available in the branches, cash services are available through the self-service options in-branch.
"This change has been very successful in a growing number of our branches, where we have seen an increase in transactions happening in branch through the enhanced availability of self-service options."
