Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 July 2026
276. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he will engage with the banks on the possibility of applying a waiver for banks fees for certain non-profit organisations such as community groups, parents associations and residents groups. [50743/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Finance I do not have a role in the operations of any bank in the State.
Any decisions in this regard are ultimately the responsibility of the banks, which are run on a commercial and independent basis.
Retail banks operating in Ireland are subject to regulatory supervision by the Central Bank of Ireland. Under Section 149 of the Consumer Credit Act 1995, credit institutions must notify the Central Bank if they wish to:
• Introduce any new customer charge for providing certain services; or
• Increase any existing customer charge for providing certain services.
The Central Bank advises that each notification received by the Central Bank is assessed in accordance with the specific criteria set out in Section 149 of the Consumer Credit Act 1995. The Central Bank may either approve (in full or at lower levels than requested) or reject a credit institution’s application under Section 149.
Credit institutions are free to impose any pricing differentials for the service up to the permitted maximum and are free to waive charges at their discretion for commercial or competitive reasons.
If customers are unhappy with their current account provider for any reason, including cost, they can shop around for the best deal and switch to a different provider.
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission operates a range of comparison tools including for current accounts, lump sum deposits and regular savers on its website. This can be used by consumers to find the account which best meets their needs.
