Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the debate. I fully support this Bill and the intention to set criteria that will ensure access to cash remains at the level prevailing in December 2022. The Bill also aims to bring independent ATM deployers, IADs, and CIT companies under the supervisory remit of the Central Bank of Ireland. This is a very welcome move and a very pertinent one in today's world. Society is becoming increasingly cashless, with contactless payments becoming increasingly popular in Ireland and also globally. There are many advantages to contactless payment. It is obviously easy to use - perhaps too easy at times.

Contactless payment also allows for the option to pay with by using a device, and this is not only very convenient but can be an important way for people to access their finances in times of need or distress, for example, if someone needs to flee a burning house, an abusive situation, or a war-torn country. In so many of these situations, many people are left with only their device and even if they are without their device, there is always an option to source a new one and access their finances in that way, no matter where in the world they are.

Equally, there are many situations in which people only have cash to see them through and they must be able to use this as needed. Easy access to our finances, through whatever means, is vitally important. For that reason, we must ensure that people are given the option of cash or card rather than card only, as is increasingly the case across the country.

A cashless society should be something we actively avoid. Fully cashless venues or businesses severely disadvantage some cohorts more than others, particularly senior citizens, young people, those on low incomes and homeless people. I understand that, on a small scale, businesses have the right to accept whatever type of payment they want if they have communicated this to the customer beforehand. However, the recent inaccessibility of events and venues on a large scale is completely unacceptable. I think in particular of GAA matches. I was recently at a GAA match between my home town and Four Masters in Ardara. Because it was a preliminary county quarter final, people were not allowed to pay in cash. Some people did not go because they objected to the fact that they had to pay by card. If the GAA or other organisations have a difficulty accepting cash, they need to sort it out rather than penalising people who want to enjoy a match. In my case, the match was not particularly enjoyable, but that is another matter. Many people were turned away from that game, as were many others across the county and the country at other matches because they did not have access to cards. It is completely unacceptable that avid supporters who go to every league and championship match and pay cash at each one should be turned away from bigger games because they do not have cards. Not only that, but, as already stated, many older people have been affected by this move. God forbid that they would want to go to a county final or an intercounty game because having to buy a ticket online in advance is a nightmare.

Buying tickets online not only forces people to have bank accounts, they must also have access to those accounts and the digital literacy to be able to navigate accessing and paying for tickets. They must also have computer and Internet access. This is particularly difficult for older people but also for those of us who live in rural Ireland and have very weak broadband connections. I have said many times before - I will keep saying it until the cows come home - that parts of Donegal still do not have access to fibre broadband connections. The Government and the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan, would like us to forget that fact, but fibre broadband roll-out has completely left Donegal behind.

The GAA is far from being the only organisation pushing cashless events. Many festivals and concerts have gone completely cashless, as have venues such as the 3Arena. This is causing widespread financial exclusion. It is completely unfair to limit access to services, events and venues in this way. This is why the legislation and its designation of credit institutions as designated entities to be responsible for ensuring sufficient access to cash is so important.

I welcome that the Bill will give the Minister for Finance the power to stipulate the minimum percentage of the population of a region to be within a minimum distance of between 5 km and 10 km of an ATM and the power to require a minimum number of ATMs per 100,000 people.

I also welcome that section 12 provides the Minister with the power to prohibit IADs from charging access fees, given that the charging of these fees is not consistent with providing reasonable access to cash. I do query, however, whether the Minister will use this power to support citizens in accessing their cash without fees, or if he will continue to allow IADs to generate revenue through an interchange fee that is paid by cardholders. I urge him to do all he can to ensure access fees are scrapped and that this legislation will be enacted as soon as possible to ensure that we provide a fair and equal society for everyone.

I hope that the legislation can be the start of a process rather than it being seen as an end in itself to make sure that cash is acceptable and that it is considered acceptable by everyone in the country. There are coffee shops not very far from here that will not accept cash at all if you are buying a cup of coffee, which is ridiculous. It is the same with the GAA, the 3Arena and other entities that do not accept cash. The reality is that cash is legal tender. People have to use it and they should be facilitated to use it. It is fair enough if we want a cashless society, but we must work towards having both together until we get to the point where people want it. People want cash, and they should be able to use it.

The Government's role should be to facilitate that because - one thing is for certain - the banks will not facilitate that. The banks will have to be forced, kicking and screaming, to make sure that they continue providing those cash services and we have to make sure that everybody else continues to provide those services as well.

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