First Active to shut in Offaly

Staff in the First Active and Ulster Bank branches throughout Offaly will be offered voluntary redundancy as part of the takeover move announced by the Ulster Bank Group this week. However, there will be jobs created for some of the First Active staff in the Ulster Bank branches through the merger which is due to be completed by the end of this year. Around 550 of the redundancies will made in the Republic with another 200 in the North. The First Active branches are on JKL Street Edenderry and on Patrick Street in Tullamore, while the Ulster Bank branches are in High Street Tullamore, Ferbane and Edenderry. It is believed that Ulster Bank will decide which one of the two premises it will close, while keeping the other one open to trade as Ulster Bank. Following the merger, the First Active brand will disappear and all First Active customers will be automatically transferred to Ulster Bank. Group Chief Executive Cormac McCarthy said he is confident Ulster Bank can secure 750 redundancies on a voluntary basis. Meetings will be held between management and trade unions in the coming days to discuss the merger and redundancy terms.