New measures to tackle bank raids
Thursday, 5 November 2009 20:23
A series of new measures to tackle an upsurge in raids on banks and abductions of bank staff and their families has been agreed.
The Minister for Justice, the Garda Commissioner and senior executives from the country's eight largest financial institutions and An Post met at Government Buildings this afternoon to discuss the recent spate of such incidents.
Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern said the measures agreed will give greater security to people working in banks and financial institutions.
The Minister also told the executives that they must adhere to the protocols that have been agreed to deal with these crimes.
It is understood that the financial institutions have now agreed that their staff will contact gardaí as soon as an incident like this occurs and that only senior officials within bank or building society branches will have access to large amounts of cash.
The Garda Commissioner and the Minister told the executives that while they sympathised with the plight and trauma of those directly affected by these incidents, staff not directly involved must act dispassionately.
On Tuesday, former Kilkenny hurler Adrian Ronan, his wife Mary and their three children were targeted by a gang who attempted to rob a Bank of Ireland branch in Kilkenny city.
Mrs Ronan was held while her husband, who works at the bank, was forced to go to the branch and take a sum of cash.
The gang ultimately failed in their attempt to steal money and no one was harmed in the incident.
