Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 118: To ask the Minister for Finance if he has initiatives to promote the greater use of e-banking. [38965/05]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Departments and offices already use electronic funds transfer extensively to make salary payments and it is intended that by end 2005 they should, to the greatest possible extent, use it for other payments, including payments to suppliers, and as far as possible payments made under their schemes and programmes. In addition, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is pursuing an e-business strategy through its agencies to encourage the business community at all levels to adopt modern technologies in their business processes and practices.

As regards promoting e-payments generally, however, the majority of payments are made in the private sector on a business-to-business, person-to-person, person-to-business or business-to-person basis. Clearly, the popularity of particular payment methods is primarily determined by the commercial offerings of financial institutions and the preferences of their customers. If there are commercial benefits to be gained from adoption of e-payment methods, then it would be primarily a matter for commercial operators to make those methods attractive to their customers and persuade them to use them. My Department has, however, made it clear that if financial institutions identify any legislative obstacle to the greater use of e-payments and make a proposal for its removal, the matter will be positively considered.