Tánaiste notes the publication by Central Bank of Ireland of the first Quarterly Access to Cash Report
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From: Department of Finance
- Published on: 24 February 2026
- Last updated on: 24 February 2026
The Tánaiste and Minister of Finance, Simon Harris T.D., notes the publication today by Central Bank of Ireland of the first Quarterly Access to Cash report. The publication sets out information relating to cash infrastructure across the State. This is an important step in the implementation of the Finance (Provision of Access to Cash Infrastructure) Act 2025.
The Act grants powers to the Central Bank and provides for the continued provision of sufficient and effective access to cash infrastructure for individuals and small-medium enterprises (SMEs) in Ireland.
Following this initial publication, the Central Bank will – on a quarterly basis – publish the number, location and hours of availability of ATMs and cash service points in each of the NUTS3 regions of Ireland (namely Border, West, Mid-West, South-East, South-West, Dublin, Mid-East, Midlands).
Certain credit institutions – referred to as “designated entities” – are required to maintain the cash infrastructure network at certain minimum levels, as prescribed by the Minister for Finance. This is to ensure that any further evolution of the cash infrastructure is managed in a fair, orderly, transparent and equitable manner for all stakeholders.
The Tánaiste said:
"I welcome the publication by the Bank today, as well as the commitments by the Designated Entities and the BPFI to provide relevant cash services. This demonstrates how in practice the Access to Cash legislation will protect the access to cash for Irish consumers in the years ahead. The level of access to cash infrastructure across the State is being protected as envisaged in the legislation”.
“As payments continue to digitalise, it remains important and essential to recognise that cash is a necessary means of payment for many people. This includes not only the older generations in our society, but also individuals who may not have access to digital payment options”.
Notes
Finance (Provision of Access to Cash Infrastructure) Act 2025
The Act and related regulations specify access to cash criteria to ensure that individuals and SMEs have reasonable and effective access to “cash services”. These criteria will apply in respect of each NUTS 3 region in the State (namely Border, West, Mid-West, South-East, South-West, Dublin, Mid-East, Midlands) in line with the following:
- There is a minimum percentage of the population that must be within 10 kilometres of an ATM
- There is a minimum number of ATMs that should be available per 100,000 people in the region concerned
- There is a minimum percentage of the population concerned that must be within 10 kilometres of a cash service point.
The criteria came into effect on 28 November 2025.
A “cash service point” is a location at which cash services are provided by, or on behalf of, a designated entity. “Cash services” are a service whereby cash (banknotes and coins) may be deposited and withdrawn by individuals and SMEs and where in-person assistance is available.
Designated entities
The Act provides a mechanism for designating credit institutions (such as banks and credit unions), which meet certain conditions. Designated entities are responsible for ensuring compliance with the access to cash criteria and local deficiency requirements (see below). The Minister for Finance has set these conditions (i.e. entities are designated based on having a minimum share of current and deposit account business in the State).
Local deficiencies
While the access to cash criteria for each NUTS3 region is intended to ensure ongoing sufficient and effective access to cash, the Act also provides for the identification of local deficiencies – i.e. in certain areas where difficulties in accessing cash may still arise. From 1 July 2026, where a member of the public believes that there is, or is likely to be, a deficiency in access to cash in their locality, they can make a submission to the Central Bank. The Central Bank will then determine if there is a local deficiency, and designated entities will be responsible for addressing identified deficiencies.
From 1 July 2026, the Central Bank will be responsible for reviewing notifications from the public where they believe insufficient access to cash services may exist in an area. It will review a range of relevant factors to determine if a local deficiency exists.