Halifax announced the launch a personal current account paying 10% interest on credit balances up to €2000 to customers lodging €1500 or more per month. The bank further announced that it was the first in Ireland to offer a Visa Debit card rather than the Laser debit card issued by other Irish banks back then, which had restricted usability outside Ireland. Closure On 9 February 2010 Bank of Scotland announced that it would be shutting all of its 44 retail branches in the Republic in addition to its customer service centre in Dundalk and direct support functions with a loss of 750 jobs. Halifax cited the economic crisis at the time as the main reason for this decision. The Bank, in its online press release, stated that the commercial and corporate strands of the business in Ireland would remain unaffected. Bank of Scotland (Ireland) chief executive, Joe Higgins, said : "We have arrived at this difficult position only after an extensive and exhaustive review of all options to secure a viable future for the bank overall and for these businesses." However, in August 2010, it was announced that the remaining business of Bank of Scotland Ireland was to be wound down by the end of the year. This followed losses of 1.88 billion euro in the first six months of the year, due mainly to impaired loans to property developers. See also Bank of Scotland International Sabadell Solbank References Defunct banks of Ireland Financial services companies based in Dublin (city) Lloyds Banking Group 2010 disestablishments in Ireland Banks established in 1965 Banks disestablished in 2010 Irish companies established in 1965