Danske customers get time to switch

Danske Bank has insisted that even if customers whose accounts are to be closed this weekend do nothing, they will still be able to withdraw any remaining funds as a bank draft or transfer them to a new bank.

Danske, which is withdrawing from retail and business banking in Ireland, wrote to customers before Christmas to inform them their accounts would be closed.

A spokesperson for the bank said up to 8,000 accounts will be closed this weekend, but added that only a quarter of them are active anyway.