A report by the Central Bank shows there are over 4,000 ATMs in operation in Ireland and over 1,200 cash service points, with new Government guidelines on access to cash criteria generally being observed.
The Central Bank of Ireland published its first quarterly Access to Cash report on Tuesday, using newly collected data to show the number, location, and opening hours of ATMs and cash service points across Ireland, as of December 31, 2025.
It showed that there are 4,023 ATMs, with the highest number in Dublin (1,056), then Cork (439), Galway, (246), Donegal (214), and Limerick and Kildare (both 168). There were 153 in Kerry, 106 in Clare, 126 in Tipperary, and 104 in Waterford.
There were 1,247 cash service points – locations like banks, where banknotes and coins can be deposited and withdrawn to or from an account, within-person assistance is available, with 205 in Dublin, and 152 in Cork, followed by Galway (93), Mayo (60), Kerry, (57), and Limerick (56). There were 49 cash service points in Tipperary, 32 in Waterford, and 42 in Clare.
Under rules set by finance minister Simon Harris in November, access to cash criteria includes a minimum percentage of the population in each region that must be within 10km of an ATM and a cash service point, as well as the minimum number of ATMs per 100,000 people in each region. The current criteria aim to maintain the number of ATMs and cash service points at 2022 levels, accounting for KBC and Ulster Bank’s exits from the market. AIB, Bank of Ireland, and PTSB are responsible to address any identified shortfalls.
In the South-West, the guidelines state that 98.5% of the population should be within 10km of an ATM, and this is being met. There are 79.9 ATMs available per 100,000 of population, just short of the criteria of 80 per 100,000.
The report showed there were six instances where the criteria are not met, but in all those cases, the shortfall relative to expected levels of the cash infrastructure is small.
“The data shows that Ireland’s cash infrastructure is largely in line with the criteria set by the Minister for Finance. However, there are some instances where the criteria are not met, and this will need to be rectified by the firms responsible under the legislation. We have outlined the identified shortfalls to firms, and they will provide us with their proposals to address these in the coming weeks,” said Central Bank deputy governor Vasileios Madouros.
The Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) which represents AIB, Bank of Ireland, and PTSB, said the banks would reviewthe published cash infrastructure data from the Central Bank and are “fully committed to providing the relevant ATM and cash service point services as soon as possible”.
Tánaiste and finance minister Harris said the report shows the level of access to cash infrastructure across the State is being protected as envisaged in the legislation. “As payments continue to digitalise, it remains important and essential to recognise that cash is a necessary means of payment for many people. This includes not only the older generations in our society, but also individuals who may not have access to digital payment options.”
