Councillors and TDs calling for Donabate Credit Union to remain open

Local TDs and councillors are calling for North County Dublin’s Progressive Credit Union to keep open the Donabate branch, after it announced it would be closing the office in July.

The decision was announced last week by Sean Staunton, chief executive of the Progressive Credit Union.

Staunton revealed that the Clontarf branch would also be shut, saying that a reduction in lending due to the Covid-19 pandemic has led to the closures.

“The closure decisions were made to address the challenges which Progressive Credit Union faces in bringing its cost base into line with current income sources, mainly loan interest, which has been dramatically impacted by Covid-19 and are likely to remain low for an extended period,” he said.

However, the announcement has been met by local cross-party criticism.

Labour representative Corina Johnston said that the announcement “will come as a major shock to its members especially as it seems that they were unaware that such an option was under consideration.

“This decision will have an impact especially on senior members who may not have the confidence to carry out online transactions.”

Donabate Progressive Credit Union first opened in 1986 but operated from various locations until finding a permanent home in Ballisk House in 1996.

The decision has surprised some politicians in the area due to the community’s recent growth.

“Donabate Portrane is undergoing sustained growth and I am in no doubt as we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic the requirement for our local credit union will be required into the future more than ever,” says Fianna Fail councillor Adrian Henchy.

The Donabate Local Area Plan 2016 envisions that the population of the town will grow to around 20,000 people in the next couple of years.

Henchy says that members and staff should have been informed before the decision was announced.

“I fully recognise and appreciate that this has caused enormous shock and upset across the Donabate Portrane peninsula where our much-loved local credit union is right at the heart of our growing peninsula and is the only financial institution in Donabate outside of our local post office,” he says.

“From the outset my concerns are for the local staff employed at Donabate.

“Also, as a member of Donabate Credit Union (since early 1970s) I would have thought the membership would have been kept fully informed before such a major decision was announced across national and social media.

“I very much recognise and think today of the so many local volunteers down through the decades who started off with nothing in Portrane in 1968 and ultimately delivered a wonderful branch and iconic building that is at the very heart of our local community,” he said.

“I am sure this news and the way it emerged must have been absolutely devastating for all those volunteers and their families.”

Fine Gael Senator Regina Doherty also criticised the decision saying: “Donabate Credit Union should not be closed.

“I have written to the Chairman of the Progressive Credit Union and the Minister for Finance to request a full public consultation before any decision is made about the future of the Donabate branch, the only financial institution in the area aside from An Post.

“Credit Unions are owned by their members, and significant decisions about a branches future should at the very least go through a consultation process with those members.”