Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 60: To ask the Minister for Finance his specific proposals to incentivise bank customers to more frequently use plastic cards and to reduce their use of ATM machines to access their own cash from their own bank accounts; to detail the exact additional charge he proposes the banks impose on bank customers accessing cash; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35526/10]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I have no plans for banks to impose additional charges on bank customers accessing cash. The promotion of the use of electronic payments is a key Government policy and a number of initiatives have already been taken in this regard. The longer-term objective is a significant reduction in the volume of paper-based payments in use throughout the economy. This policy is fully aligned and is developing in tandem with market and regulatory developments at EU level, including the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), the introduction of the Payment Services Directive from November 2009 and the introduction of the revised Electronic Money Directive from April 2011. In promoting this policy objective, the Government has reduced stamp duty on combined ATM cards from €10 to €5 in Budget 2009, building upon changes in the previous year's Budget. Stamp duty on cheques was also increased from 30 cent to 50 cent per cheque, to act as a further disincentive to cheque usage.

As part of the process of increasing the use of electronic payments new governance arrangements are required. I am currently considering the recommendations made by the National Payments Implementation Programme Advisory Group in their report on the possible mechanisms to further promote the development of electronic payments.