NEW GUIDELINES ARE being introduced that will help to protect access to cash in local communities across the country, according to Minister for Finance Simon Harris. 

From July, members of the public or small businesses who are struggling to access cash in their area will be able to raise their concern directly with the Central Bank. 

According to the bank’s website, it will determine if there is a local deficiency once a submission is made to them, and that “designated entities” will be responsible for addressing the deficiencies identified. 

Harris is expected to sign off on the safeguards in the coming days. He said that while more people are paying for things with their bank cards, “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,” he said.

“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.”

The Access to Cash Act, which was signed into law last year, requires that a majority of the population should be within 10km of an ATM and a cash service point, such as banks or post offices.

It also set the minimum number of ATMs that ought to be available per 100,000 people

A report on access to cash published by the Central Bank in February found that there were just over 4,000 ATMs in Ireland, and just over 1,200 cash service points.

The report said there were six instances where the criteria set out in the Access to Cash bill was not met. “In all those cases, the shortfall relative to expected levels of the cash infrastructure is small,” the report said. 

“We have outlined the identified shortfalls to firms, and they will provide us with their proposals to address these in the coming weeks.”

The Central Bank said it expects to publish guidelines at the end of June for how the public can notify it where they believe insufficient access to cash services may exist.