Madam, – Minister for Justice Demot Ahern’s proposal for an ATM transaction charge as a means of changing Ireland into a cashless society has me somewhat perplexed. He and his Government have already done such splendid work in emptying this society of cash. Surely this charge is surplus to requirements? – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Regarding Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern’s comments about moving to a “cashless” society: given the current problems with Anglo Irish Bank, might it be less taxing to move to a “bankless” society instead? – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Dermot Ahern’s proposition, that higher ATM fees would somehow reduce the number of Tiger raids, just doesn’t add up. Why should customers suffer higher charges? By comparison, normal ATM transactions in Britain are usually free. And the ATMs are pretty much everywhere, so there’s no shortage of targets for the British armed robber. Why then do I hear of far more tiger raids in Ireland than in Britain? I see the Army escorts cash delivered to banks in Ireland. I very rarely see armed guards on security vans in Britain. Is the Irish armed robber just more ruthless: more willing to terrorise bank staff and their families? Or more likely to get away with it? Perhaps the Minister for Justice will explain. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Now I get it! Problem: Tiger kidnapping. Fianna Fáil solution: charge whoever had nothing to do with it (proposal for ATM charges).
We can generalise this. Problem: whatever comes to mind (destruction of the economy, health system, banking system, education system, employment prospects). Fianna Fáil solution: charge whoever had nothing to do with it.
Maybe we should take the capitalist approach to this. Pay incompetent leaders multiples of their salary to get out and promise to stay out – for the rest of their lives.
We might then consider employing professionals with proven expertise to plan and implement a way out of this, with large bonuses (offering millions to the right people), to be paid 10 years after a proven recovery.
Any takers? – Yours, etc,
Madam, – In light of Dermot Ahern’s call to put another tax on us by charging for ATM withdrawals, would it not be more appropriate for him to suggest to banks that they make it impossible for staff members to access large amounts of cash.
For example: have a mandatory number of people present before an amount of money (say over €40,000) can be taken from a safe for any transaction; or have different safes and let some people have access to one but not the other. Surely there must be some reasonable security features that banks can take?
It’s time to put the welfare of the staff first, because it seems like only a matter of time before one of these thugs escalates what they are doing at present. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – We need higher ATM charges like we need a hole-in-the -wall (sorry)head. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – A headline (Home News, September 3rd) reads “Ahern may look at higher ATM fees after €300,000 robbery and kidnap”. An adjacent headline reads “Minister studying measures to control sex offenders”. Again referring to Dermot Ahern. Perhaps he will conclude that a swingeing increase in on-street parking fees should suitably deter the sex offenders! – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern’s suggestion to start charging bank customers for ATM withdrawals can be avoided in three simple steps.
1. banks should live up to their social responsibility and make notes more widely available in smaller denominations. All too often ATMs have on-screen messages stating that no €10 or €20 notes are available. This practice forces the customer to take out more cash than needed at the time and the relevant branch to hold more cash than is required on any given day. 2. Businesses should be required to offer at least a debit card payment option before they are granted a trading licences. Too many businesses have a sign up in-store casually apologising for not having card payment facilities. 3. Banks should lower or scrap the merchant fees they charge shops using card payment terminals. This loss of income can be offset by increasing their cash-handling fees to discourage the use of same as payment.
These measures would significantly lower the amount of cash in circulation as well as the risk to bank branch employees and their families.
Is it not time that we embraced a modern approach to payment in this country, for convenience and safety’s sakes? – Yours, etc,