Pensioner unable to access savings in German bank
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.”
He said letters written on his behalf by the Department of Foreign Affairs and by the Irish Ambassador in Berlin to the bank on the issue had also been ignored.
He had also sent a copy of an old passport, certified and stamped by gardaí, to the bank in Frankfurt, but DB had said it was not an adequate form of identification.
Mr Ó Scannláin said he had been advised against sending a copy of any current form of identification by local gardaí.
Despite being in possession of all relevant documentation, and a letter stating that he was the owner of the account, the bank insisted it was still not sufficiently satisfied to allow him access to the money.
DB has a local office in Dublin, but it is understood a transfer of the money is not possible.
The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that it was aware of MrÓ Scannláin’s circumstances and had made representations on his behalf. It said it was not aware of similar cases involving Irish citizens.
A spokesperson for the bank said: “Deutsche Bank will be researching individual cases if contacted by a client. Of course current regulations have to be followed by banks and clients. Generally, proof of identification and the original contract are required to start the payout process.”
