John Clendennen (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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341. To ask the Minister for Finance the progress of legislating to ensure access to cash, including the provision of ATMs and cash desks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15799/25]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Department of Finance’s Retail Banking Review was published in November 2022 and contained a number of recommendations. One recommendation was for the Department of Finance to develop access to cash legislation in order to establish a framework to ensure that the future evolution of cash infrastructure in the State will be managed in a fair, orderly, transparent, and equitable manner. The Review also called on Department officials to require ATM operators and cash-in-transit providers to be authorised and supervised by the Central Bank of Ireland, and to provide the Central Bank of Ireland with responsibility and powers to protect the resilience of the cash system.

Drafting of the legislation began in close collaboration with the Office of Parliamentary Counsel in early 2024, following stakeholder engagement and consultation. Recommendations made by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and the Taoiseach in its report of March 2024 were considered during the drafting process.

The Finance (Provision of Access to Cash Infrastructure) Bill 2024 was published on 31 July 2024. The Bill completed Second Stage in Dáil Éireann on 26 September 2024, and is scheduled for Third Stage in Dáil Éireann on 2 April 2025.

The Bill is can be accessed online at www.oireachtas.ie/en/bills/bill/2024/65/.