Make cash tender legally binding - Cllrs
Minister for Finance Michael McGrath is being asked to make it compulsory in legislation for cash to be accepted, as well as card, as legal tender for goods and services rendered.
“A lot of people are worried,” said Independent councillor Brendan Fay at the September monthly meeting of Cavan County Council. It happened shortly after an edict was handed down warning all public bodies must continue to accept cash when consumers are paying for services. The demand comes after plans by the NCT to go cashless were met with a raft of complaints.
Cllr Fay said that “vulnerable” groups were most at risk by the move to go cashless as a society, and the narrative that cash is “bad” and only used for “dodgy deals” was a myth.
Aontú's Sarah O'Reilly supported the motion but, before she spoke, was asked by Cathaoirleach Philip Brady to “please not mention the GAA”.
His remark follows a row of words that broke out towards the end of last year between the Bailieborough elected representative and the sporting organisation after she criticised the County Board for not accepting cash at match turnstiles. She highlighted how some people, particularly the older demographic in rural areas with poor broadband, were unable to buy tickets via an app without the help of others.
Cllr O’Reilly’s October 2022 motion also asked that the council write to the last two large remaining banking providers in Ireland - AIB and Bank of Ireland - demanding they begin to row back on attempts to implement a solely digital system.
Speaking in relation to Cllr Fay's motion, Cllr O'Reilly once again said that banking apps were “notoriously unreliable”, as are broadband services in some rural parts of the country.
The ability to pay in cash, she said, should be “a legal right”.
“I welcome the fact, that the NCT centres’ decision to go cashless was overturned, following public outcry and a national campaign by Aontú, which was quickly supported by Minister Jack Chambers,” said Cllr O'Reilly at the meeting.
The NCT, she added, is a statutory body. “The cheek of them to even try such a thing. People must remember they have more power than they think and they must vote with their feet where this lunacy is concerned.”
She concluded by welcoming the decision by Meath LGFA which changed its policy recently so that all senior, intermediate and junior championship games will “no longer be ticketed. Cash on the gate”.
The Cathaoirleach also supported the motion, saying it was very difficult to operate in business without dealing in cash. He said, if an electronic payment failed, it could mean the loss of a “lot of money”.
Taxi services as well, he said, were being forced to change their business practice. “We need to keep cash.”
Fellow party member Patricia Walsh said, at least with €50 in pocket, a person would know how much they're spending whereas, simply by tapping, it was much harder to keep track of finances.
She said “young people have no control”, and highlighted also where some pubs were charging more for a pint paid by card rather than cash over the counter.
There was support too from Fine Gael's Trevor Smith and TP O'Reilly, the latter of whom said: “Time goes on. If it's not the card, it's the phone.”
He agreed that it would be vulnerable members of society who would ultimately get left behind.