Sir, - Your report of December 6th on the Trustee Savings Bank's amalgamation with Irish Life, like all media reports on this issue, makes no mention of the contribution which customers of the TSB have made to the final determination of this matter. Of course, the management of both institutions are silent on this aspect, so one cannot criticise the media too severely. The managements are silent because they are occupied with determining how much they and their staff can get out of the process. Clearly, they have worked hard to achieve this result but they do not appear very willing to highlight the role of their customers. It is precisely the loyalty and good financial management practised by those very customers over the lean years that has helped the TSB to extend its branch network and customer base and thus become a real player in the market. If that is not to be rewarded in some tangible way, then, despite the festive atmosphere, I for one will bank elsewhere. - Yours, etc.,
Martin McDonald, Whitehall Road, Terenure, Dublin 6W.