A Clare TD has welcomed Dáil approval for a Bill which will ensure people in rural areas have access to ATMs and cash services.
The Finance (Provision of Access to Cash Infrastructure) Bill 2024 was passed by the Dáil this month and now moves to the Seanad for debate. The Bill includes provisions for ensuring that a specified percentage of the population but be within a set radius of not more than 10km of a cash service point and contains pathways for identifying and addressing locations which have deficiencies in cash services.
Speaking in the Dáil recently, Fianna Fáil TD Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Finance and his Department to work with pillar banks to ensure that rural communities have proper access to banking services.
According to Deputy Crowe: “I see the progression of this Bill as being transformative. We know all too well in County Clare, how damaging it can be to a local community when a bank branch closes. Many people, but particularly an older cohort of our population, rely on the availability of a bank network in order to complete transactions.
“Where a bank isn’t readily available, an ATM becomes a necessity but unfortunately, we have large swathes of rural Ireland currently without access to a nearby ATM.
“This Bill will ensure that communities have a mechanism through which they can identify and make complaints about deficiencies of ATMs. The Central Bank will then engage with banks and other credit institutions to address these gaps.
“I think that in a county like Clare, this Bill will have a very positive effect and will hopefully lead to us having more ATMs around the county.
“Many ATMs just dispense cash but I note that in the last few years, ATM machines in bank branches have a much wider availability of services including cheque lodgements, fund transfer and a bill paying ability. I hope that the pillar banks can roll out such ATMs on a more widespread basis and I will be raising this directly with the Minister.
“We have to ensure that people are not left behind and we must avoid the risk of financial exclusion. The important role that cash continues to play in our lives must be recognised and it is a role that I am determined to protect.”