Written answer
Banking Sector
Concerns were raised about retail bank branch closures on Limerick’s northside and their impact on vulnerable residents and businesses. The Minister said banks must support affected customers and explain alternatives, while the 2025 access-to-cash regime, including post offices and a Central Bank local-deficiency process, is intended to ensure adequate services.
177. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he is aware of the lack of retail banking branch services on the northside of Limerick city following consecutive branch closures in recent years; the impact on local communities, elderly or vulnerable residents, and small businesses across areas such as the Ennis Road, Clareview, Caherdavin, and Greystones; if his Department has engaged with the retail banks regarding restoration of physical banking or face-to-face services in the area; the steps he is taking to ensure adequate access to cash and over-the-counter financial services through alternative networks like the post office network. [66060/26]
Comment on this
While the regulation of retails banks in Ireland is the responsibility of the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI), decisions relating to the business model of regulated firms are commercial matters for the Boards of these firms.
Following a comprehensive review of the Consumer Protection Code 2012, the CBI has published a revised Consumer Protection Code (the Code), which took effect on 24 March 2026. Under the Code, banks must ensure that they communicate in a clear and timely manner with customers regarding any changes to their banking services and branch closures, and in particular inform them about any alternative channels available to them to avail of banking services.
Banks must also provide affected vulnerable customers with the assistance necessary to ensure that those customers can retain full access to basic financial services, albeit in many cases at another branch location.
Furthermore, the Finance (Provision of Access to Cash Infrastructure) Act 2025 established a regime to ensure sufficient and effective access to cash infrastructure for individuals and SMEs. An Order made under Section 5 of the Act specified criteria for minimum levels of access to cash infrastructure across the State. The Order also prescribed, for each region, a minimum percentage of the population that must be within 10km of a cash service point, where cash may be deposited and withdrawn, and where there is in-person assistance available. Bank branches and Post Offices satisfy the definition of cash service point. Compliance with the criteria is monitored quarterly by the Central Bank.
In addition to the access to cash criteria, the Central Bank implemented its local deficiencies framework from 1 July 2026, allowing members of the public to notify the Bank where they consider a deficiency in access to cash infrastructure exists in their local area, even where the access to cash criteria in their region have been met.
The Central Bank will assess any formal notification from the public against its local deficiency framework, taking account of a range of matters including all cash infrastructure currently available in that area.
A mapping tool that shows the full range of access to cash infrastructure at a local level across the State is available on the CBI’s website, see www.centralbank.ie/financial-system/access-to-cash.