Sir, - I witnessed recently a young African woman being refused an account by AIB, although she presented her passport and new Irish work permit.
Several enquiries later, the bank tells me it is policy. The official who told me so said it was unfortunate, and that "we should, after all, be Christian to these people". The young woman had spirit enough to go down the road to the Ulster Bank, which opened an account for her straight away. Should I follow her example? - Yours, etc.,
Sara Horgan, Mount Pleasant Square, Dublin 6.