184. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Finance if legislation will be introduced to allow consumers the continued option to pay for services in cash (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29101/24]

In June 2023, the terms of reference for a National Payments Strategy (NPS) were published, and work on the NPS has commenced. The work of the NPS will take account of the changing payment landscape and ongoing legislative developments at EU level, including proposals on instant payments, payment services, legal tender and the digital euro. Access to cash and acceptance of cash are also being examined as part of this work.

The Department of Finance sought views from across Irish society though a public consultation. A Consultation Paper on the NPS was prepared to guide the discussion and is available on the Department’s website, consult.finance.gov.ie/en. The Consultation Paper has three main areas of focus:

• Payments roadmap

• Acceptance of cash

• Access to cash [the development of the access to cash legislation is a separate work stream]

The consultation process closed on 14 February 2024 and the responses to the public consultation will form an important part of the NPS. A summary of the submissions was published on the Department’s website and can be found here : www.gov.ie/en/publication/ebcb3-national-payments-strategy-public-consultation-summary-of-submissions/.

Specifically, in relation to cash acceptance, there is a need to ensure that cash can be accepted as a means of payment where appropriate. The NPS work will, therefore, look at the acceptance of cash and consider if legislation should be introduced to require certain sectors or sub-sectors to accept or facilitate the acceptance of cash.

At the same time, I and the Government are mindful of developments in the European Union. In June 2023, the European Commission published a proposal for a Regulation on the legal tender of euro banknotes and coins. In October 2023, the European Central Bank provided its opinion on the proposal, and in the European Parliament, a draft report on the proposal was tabled in January 2024. The proposal has been considered by a Working Party of the Council of the European Union, representing ministers of the Member States, at a number of meetings. The most recent meeting of the Working Party on the proposal took place in June 2024.