From July, members of the public who struggle to access cash in their area will be able to contact the Central Bank directly with their concerns.
This news comes after new rules were introduced last year, that the population must be withink 10km of an ATM and a cash service point along with a minimum number of ATM's per 100,000 people in each region.
According to the banks website, they said that once a submission is made they will identify any deficiencies.
Harris is set to sign of on this new rule as he said that although majority are using card payments, “cash still matters." “Older people in particular rely on being able to access cash from an ATM close to home, and so do many small businesses and families across the country. Whether you live in a city, a town or a rural community, you should have reasonable access to the cash services you need. These guidelines recognise that local communities have a right to cash services in close proximity," Harris said.
A report on access to cash in Ireland revealed that there was just over 4,000 ATMs in Ireland. Deputy Governor Vasileios Madouros said that the Central Bank is "committed" to "ensuring that cash is available and accessible as a means of payment."
"The data shows that Ireland’s cash infrastructure is largely in line with the criteria set by the Minister for Finance. However, there are some instances where the criteria are not met, and this will need to be rectified by the firms responsible under the legislation."
"We have outlined the identified shortfalls to firms, and they will provide us with their proposals to address these in the coming weeks. We also recognise that, at a more local level, there may be specific challenges in accessing cash. From July onwards, people can make a submission to the Central Bank if they believe there is a local deficiency in relation to access to cash," Madouros continued.
In 2023, the Dáil voted to ensure access to cash after a retail banking review found that some business were refusing to accept cash.
