Ulster Bank Likely to Close 30 RoI Branches

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Branch closures continue as banking continues to move towards digital channels.

RBS are likely to close up to 30 Ulster Bank branches in the RoI and more in NI. Charlie Weston has the story here.

"It is understood consultants McKinsey, working for Ulster Bank and its parent RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland), recommends the closure of up to 30 branches, mainly in smaller towns.

The move will hit the towns where other banks have closed branches particularly hard. In many cases the Ulster Bank is the last bank in town.

Ulster has 110 branches in the Republic, following the shutting down of branches in 2014.

Compulsory redundancies are now feared, with a culling of some of the 65 branches in the North also expected. Edinburgh-headquartered RBS is also shutting branches in the UK. "
 
it's no surprise. I also got asked to respond to a survey recently where UB were gauging opinions on charges for non-digital transactions such as cheques and cash withdrawals from ATMs

The harsh and cold reality is that the vast majority of us, unless we are dealing in a cash business, have limited reason to go into a branch. If I want to "buy" something from a bank such as an investment product then I'll do it online or schedule an appointment.
 
Absolutely, the march of digital payments is leaving the vast majority of branch transactions redundant.

To put the branch retreat in content, in 2007 RBS had 190 branches in the Republic of Ireland under 2 brands, RBS now have 110 branches and will likely soon have 80 branches. A speedy sizeable pace.
 
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Ah let's not forget that banks have limited our reasons for going into branches... do their opening hours make sense for the majority of their customers? Certainly not.
Is there any 'personal' touch to going into branches, or are you just dealing with a human automaton? So why bother?
 
UB have a load of branches in small towns around the northwest. I remember once seeing a branch in Muff, Co. Donegal.
 
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