Minister for Finance Michael McGrath (pictured) has asked public bodies to continue to accept payments in cash until a report on the issue is completed.

The Department of Finance said that the minister had written to all Government colleagues to ask that bodies under their aegis maintain their existing payments.

“It is my expectation now that all public bodies that currently accept or facilitate the acceptance of cash should continue to do so,” Minister McGrath stated.

In June, the department published the terms of reference for a National Payments Strategy (NPS), which is due to be published in 2024.

Consultation

The strategy will look the acceptance of cash and consider whether legislation should be introduced to require certain sectors to accept or facilitate the acceptance of cash.

It will also consider whether it should be policy to require the public service to accept or facilitate the acceptance of cash.

The NPS is due to hold a public consultation in the final quarter of this year on whether it should be Government policy that public bodies should accept or facilitate the acceptance of cash for the payment of goods, services, taxes, levies, fees or charges.