Mr. Liam McLoughlin:

We have not taken Irish off the retail machines in retail stores. One sees them in various supermarkets and other stores and they only dispense cash. What has happened here is that we have invested in our fleet since 2010. Over the last seven years, we have brought in machines with new enhanced functionality. That functionality means one can now lodge cash and cheques from outside the branch. As such, we have extended the opening hours. We found that when we introduced the machines the functionality to add the Irish or any language was very expensive. The expense is not the issue; it also slows down the performance of the machine dramatically. Where the functionality to put through a transaction in both languages is there, it actually slows down the performance of the machine. That is the case. We have researched it in Europe, where they use a number of different languages if one wants to withdraw cash from a standard ATM. However, they have not introduced the additional functionality we have in multiple languages. It is the performance of the machine. When one has the option to have it coded in both languages, it just slows it down. What has happened is that our estate has gone from being a very bog-standard cash dispensing machine in 2010 to one where people can actually lodge cash and cheques and perform other functions. We have said we will leave the existing machines in place. As they are replaced, they will not be replaced with others that offer the language option.

I wish to comment on the demand from customers. I oversaw the introduction of the lodgment ATMs. Initially, I only wanted them in our smallest 100 rural branches. The customer demand for them has been very extensive. Customers like the fact that they can go to a lodgment ATM on a Saturday or Sunday to lodge cash or cheques. There is increasing demand from customers to which we have responded.