ELDERLY long standing customers of Newbridge Credit Union have had their death benefit stripped from then since the merger with PTSB bank.

Many people who had had this death benefit provided to them as part of their contract with NCU are now left unable to access any cover at all because they are over the age of 70.

There was outrage this week following a Dáil question to the minister of Finance Michael Noonan by Deputy Pearse Doherty.

Local Newbridge councillor Mark Lynch said this is “totally unacceptable as they have left thousands of elderly customers without death benefit”.

“Now again this Government has shown reckless disregard for the most vulnerable in society, the elderly. Many are worried that they will leave debts upon their spouses or family when they die, this is a terrible thing when they always thought they would have this, and when the government gave previous commitments they were left relieved. That rug has not firmly been pulled from under them,” he said.

“Minister Noonans response is typical in that it does not actually answer the question put to him and instead refers us to PTSB. This is totally unacceptable as they have left thousands of elderly customers without death benefit, and now unable to access any because their terms and conditions were changed and they cannot get death benefit elsewhere at a reasonable cost because they are over 70.”

Deputy Doherty had asked the minister why the death benefit insurance had been cancelled and if he would make a statement on the matter.

Minister Noonan said he had been informed by the Central Bank that Permanent TSB wrote to the former members of Newbridge Credit Union in December 2014 to state its intention to fully integrate the business of the credit union into the local branch of Permanent TSB.

“This correspondence included details of Permanent TSB’s approach for life insurance on deposits and loan protection insurance, which was a commercial decision taken by Permanent TSB,” the minister said in reply.

“To ensure that credit union services are available to people in the Newbridge area, the Central Bank approved in February 2015 the extension of the common bond of Naas Credit Union to incorporate a number of other areas including Newbridge.”