Hi Bonnie
This really depends on your investment objectives and investment horizon.
There is no such thing as security any more. In fact, there never has been. If you put all your money on deposit long term, it runs the real risk of being severely devalued by inflation.
If you put it in banks, there is the risk that the banks will go bust. The safest bank is probably Rabobank, because it is inherently safe. Northern Rock is next as it's covered by the British government guarantee.
If you are investing long-term, you should make sure that you are maxing your contributions to your pension funds.
The alternatives to deposits are property and shares. Both are risky. In the long term, the reward should compensate for the risk. We don't allow speculation about Irish property prices on Askaboutmoney, but I think most people would agree that there is risk involved.
A porfolio of shares should give you a good long term return. You probably should invest at least part of your assets in shares.
Brendan