Given the withdrawal of a number of the major banks from this jurisdiction and the closure of a large number of bank branches all over the country, thus reducing the visual impact of business supports and access for customers, might it be possible to in some way enhance the degree to which customers can talk to their bank without talking to a machine, which has become ridiculous in recent times?

That would be some achievement.

Currently, everything is being done by way of answering machine or a machine of some description, which is depersonalising the contact that is necessary between businesses and banks, especially small businesses and traders but also personal customers. I ask the Tánaiste to use his good offices with the banking authorities to try to address that issue.

Deputy Durkan's question is a very good one.

It is valid question. I had this experience myself recently. For years, I have been using Internet banking and phone banking and using my card reader at home and so on, which I have found very good. I had not been in a bank for a long time, but I recently visited a bank on Baggot Street because I had to change the personal identification number, PIN, for my card. I had to interact with this very strange large machine that looked like an automated teller machine, ATM, but was not an ATM. It was very complicated. All I needed was somebody to help me out but there was nobody there except for a security guard and some machines. As it happened, I contacted the AIB helpline and the person who answered was extremely helpful and I was able to solve the problem, but it did remind me of the value every now and then of human contact and of having a person in the post office, the bank branch or wherever one may go. While we do not have any legal powers around this matter, I do engage regularly with the banks on behalf of businesses and I will raise the issue with them.