Pensioner unable to access savings in German bank

A MAN has complained to the Dáil Public Accounts Committee he is not being granted access to his German savings account which is part of his pension fund.

Tomás Ó Scannláin, a heritage campaigner from Bishopstown, Co Cork, used to work for the European Space Agency in Darmstadt and set up the savings account — similar to an SSIA (Special Saving Incentive Account) — in the 1980s. He contributed substantial monies to the account for years and, in the meantime, returned to his home town. However, he said numerous efforts over the past year to gain access to the money, held by Deutsche Bank, have failed.

Mr Ó Scannláin said: “I have been writing to the chairman and getting no reply. As a customer you should be entitled to a reply from your bank and they have just ignored the letter.”