Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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306. To ask the Minister for Finance if he intends to direct all State agencies and public-facing offices, such as tax offices, that take payments from the public as part of the services they provide, to be able to take card payments as part of the transaction process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63213/22]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Currently, there is no law requiring the acceptance of card payments by State agencies or public facing offices. Entities will consider a number of factors before choosing to accept any type of payment instrument.

In the case of accepting card payments, typically, one of the more relevant factors considered is the fees that an entity must pay. One of the most common fees affecting card acceptance across the EU is the interchange fee i.e. the fee paid between the payer’s bank (the card issuer) and the payee’s bank (the bank used by the entity accepting the transaction) to cover handling costs.

There may be other relevant considerations such as the acceptance infrastructure e.g. the availability of card terminals, typically supported by an internet connection, which may not be reliable in all cases, particularly in rural areas.

My officials will continue to monitor develops in the area to ensure that consumers have access to a broad range of reliable and innovative services that meet their needs. 

I would also add that, the recently published Retail Banking Review set out a number of recommendations in relation to payments that are relevant to this issue and my officials are currently examining how best to progress them.