The League of Credit Unions' AGM has heard a call to regard the movement as a viable alternative in areas where other financial services are pulling out. President Jim McMahon said that credit unions were committed to sustaining local communities and would not be moving.
Mr McMahon said that they were now playing a greater role in job creation, in some cases actually building enterprise units in their areas. The conference is being held in Bundoran. Over two million people are members of credit unions in Ireland.
Mr McMahon said that, apart from pulling out of communities, banks were now making it increasingly difficult for people to do their business. He said that credit unions were willing to provide those services which banks were not.
He admitted the movement had a disastrous foray into new technology. He added, however, that credit unions needed to use this technology and that the Government should support the movement in getting it up and running.
In relation to post offices, Mr McMahon said that there was a synergy between post offices and credit unions that he would like to see developed. He said that credit unions were not in competition with post offices but could provide services in tandem.
