Ireland’s Department of Finance announced that the Minister for Finance, Simon Harris, intends to sign two orders under the Finance (Provision of Access to Cash Infrastructure) Act 2025, which will take effect on 28 November 2025 and activate the Act’s access-to-cash coverage standards and designated-entity regime. The Section 5 order sets access-to-cash criteria for each of the eight NUTS3 regions, including the percentage of the population that must be within 5 km to 10 km of an ATM and a cash service point (bank branches and post offices), as well as a minimum number of ATMs per 100,000 people. The criteria are aligned to December 2022 levels, taking account of the exits of Ulster Bank Ireland DAC and KBC Ireland plc and reviewed against recent data, with the stated aim of maintaining current cash infrastructure levels. The Section 10 order sets thresholds for “designated entities” as credit institutions meeting both measures for two consecutive quarters, at 6% of total current accounts and 7.5% of the total value of household deposits; on the latest available data, Allied Irish Bank, Bank of Ireland and Permanent TSB would meet or exceed both thresholds. The Central Bank of Ireland will monitor compliance on a quarterly basis and has powers to direct designated entities to implement measures to meet the access criteria and address local deficiencies.
Department of Finance (Ireland)2025-11-24
Ireland’s Department of Finance confirms Access to Cash orders taking effect 28 November with ATM coverage standards and bank designation thresholds
Ireland’s Department of Finance will activate the Finance (Provision of Access to Cash Infrastructure) Act 2025 on 28 November 2025, establishing access-to-cash standards and a designated-entity regime. The Section 5 order sets criteria for ATM and cash service point accessibility across eight NUTS3 regions, while the Section 10 order defines thresholds for designated entities, with Allied Irish Bank, Bank of Ireland, and Permanent TSB meeting these criteria. The Central Bank of Ireland will oversee compliance quarterly and can direct entities to address issues.