‘It’s a fool who turns down money’

With ATMs now an endangered species, the Access to Cash Bill, recently announced by Minister for Finance Michael McGrath, would oblige banks to maintain access to cash dispensers at December 2022 levels.

But should cash play an important role in our economy into the future?

Ciaran Hancock is joined this week by Vincent Jennings, chief executive officer of the Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association who feels that cash has an important role to play and would welcome oversight of the many non-bank ATMs in operation here. Irish Times business and technology journalist Ciara O’Brien thinks plastic and digital are safer, more convenient, and more hygienic, but still keeps an emergency tenner on her just in case.

Also on this week’s episode, senior business reporter Barry O’Halloran gives us the latest on the pay talks between pilots and Aer Lingus, with the airline’s 8.5 per cent pay offer being rejected. He also has the latest Ryanair profit numbers, information on their new deals with online travel agents, and its chief executive Michael O’Leary’s prediction that air fares will continue to rise in Europe this year as many airlines struggle to add capacity.