Banks pledge review of security

Ireland's banks have told senior gardaí they are to conduct a review of security procedures in the wake of last Friday’s €7.6 million raid on the Bank of Ireland.

Senior officers specialising in crime and security, led by Assistant Commissioner Mick McCarthy, held talks with the heads of security and other officials from all the main banks at Garda Headquarters in Phoenix Park, Dublin.

The meeting was also attended by representatives from the Irish Banking Federation.

They discussed the protocols in place for dealing with so-called tiger kidnappings such as the one at the Bank of Ireland vaults facility at Dublin’s College Green.

A Garda spokesman said a “full and frank” discussion was held.

“A full and frank discussion took place surrounding procedures and protocols currently in place and a commitment was given by the financial institutions to carry out a complete security review of existing procedures,” the spokesman said.

Meetings to review progress will be held over the coming weeks.

Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern spoke with Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy over the weekend and was briefed on the latest developments in the Garda’s investigation into the raid, which involved hostage-taking.

Speaking hours after the raid, Mr Ahern said he was concerned that the Bank of Ireland did not inform gardaí the raid was under way until after bank worker Shane Travers (24) left College Green with the cash for the raiders.

He said the bank should have informed gardaí before Mr Travers left College Green, giving them an opportunity to put a reaction operation in place. Instead the bank rang gardaí at least 10 minutes later, by which time Mr Travers would have been almost at Clontarf Dart station, less than two miles away, where he handed over his car carrying four bags of money to a gang member.