The Bank of Ireland should transfer branches it is planning to close back to local communities, so they can be used as local hubs to operate as post offices; centres for renewing driving licences and tourist-information booths.
Cllr Bernard Moynihan made the call following last week's announcement by the bank's chief executive, Frances McDonagh, that several bank branches in Cork, including those in Kanturk, Millstreet and Mitchelstown, would be shut as part of a programme of nationwide closures. At the same time, the bank announced that an agreement had been reached with An Post to carry out some of the functions that are currently happening in bank branches.