Ulster Bank sets closure date of Navan branch

Ulster Bank has confirmed that its branch in Navan will cease transactions on 31st March and close permanently on 21st April, as the bank's withdrawal from the Irish market continues.

It is one of 63 remaining Ulster Bank branches around the country that will close their doors for the last time on 21st April.

From 31st March, customers will no longer be able to make cash or cheque lodgements either at the counter or through internal automation devices or make any form of a withdrawal, except for ATM services. In the period from 1st to 21st April, staff in branches will be focused on supporting any remaining personal and business customers to move to a new banking provider and close their accounts. These 63 branches, and ATM services, will permanently close on 21st April.

A further 25 former Ulster Bank branches closed earlier in January and have been transferred to Permanent TSB including branches in Trim, Ardee and Kilcock.

Ulster Bank has also confirmed that customers will no longer be able to access Ulster Bank services through An Post outlets after 31 March.

In November, Ulster Bank opened two redundancy programmes and as a result, approximately 600 staff will now leave the bank via redundancy over the coming months, the timeframe is aligned to the business need.

Other staff have left and will continue to leave the bank through TUPE (transfer of undertaking) transfers as part of the Bank’s transactions with Permanent TSB and AIB. Ulster Bank also expects to open another voluntary redundancy programme in February with further redundancy programmes later in 2023 and beyond as the work continues to reduce or cease.

Ulster Bank is also encouraging customers who have not yet taken action, to begin the process of choosing a new provider, moving their transactions and closing their current and deposit accounts within their notice period. All current and deposit accounts that have passed their six month notice period are now queued for closure, with the exception of known vulnerable customers and customers in receipt of Social Protection payments and Ulster Bank says it will continue its outreach to those customers to support them to move. The Bank will commence the freezing of personal and commercial customer accounts with higher levels of activity on or after 2nd February.

According to Ulster Bank, 90 per cent of Ulster Bank personal current accounts, are either closed, or with customers having materially wound down the level of activity in their current account to five or less transactions, or left it inactive. This increases to 94 per cent when personal deposit accounts are included. This trend continues to increase every day for customers approaching their six month deadline. Some 77 per cent of Ulster Bank business/ commercial accounts have either closed, materially wound down the level of activity in their current account to five or less transactions, or left it inactive. Some 59 per cent of personal current accounts are already closed; and 41 per cent of business/ commercial current accounts are closed.

In a statement announcing the bank closures, Ulster Bank Chief Executive Jane Howard said: “I know that our branches and colleagues have been a central part of these communities for many years and these final months of helping customers to move to new providers will be poignant for all involved.”