asked the Minister for Finance the circumstances under which promotional material for a commercial bank was circulated with wage cheques for employees of the Houses of the Oireachtas on 3 March 1983; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers . - Commercial Bank Promotional Material .
140.
: My Department pays wages and salaries by issuing crossed payable orders which are processed through the banking system. It is the practice for the banks to pay cash against these orders even in the case of staff members who have not got bank accounts. It is in the interest both of my Department and the members of the staff that this service should continue to be available. When my Department was asked by a nearby branch to circulate leaflets aimed at informing those staff members who have not got bank accounts of the advantages of opening an account it agreed to co-operate in view of the high degree of co-operation forthcoming from the branch in making payments of wages and salaries. In view of the advantages offered by the banking system for the transmission and safekeeping of cash, my Department will extend the same degree of co-operation to any other banking group which wishes to have information circulated in the same way on the services it provides for account holders.