Enhanced Role For Post Offices And Credit Unions Needed

Under any new Government the role of the Credit Unions and Post Offices nationwide should be enhanced to that it can become a major banking force particularly for people in rural areas.
The main banks have largely abandoned rural Ireland but I have been a constant advocate of the need for an increased role for our Post Offices and Credit Unions. It is time that the Credit Unions were allowed to compete in the mortgage market and they should be allowed provide their customers with debit and ATM cards too. Post Offices should also be able to compete with the banks in terms of payments and other financial services. The taxpayers may still own a major shareholding in some of the major commercial banks but it is clear that the banks could not care less about looking after ordinary people which has led to much anger and frustration especially in rural areas and rightly so too. The Credit Unions and Post Offices must be given a greater role going forward and this is something that I will be giving urgent priority to if I am elected on February 26th.