asked the Minister for Justice the action he proposes to take to reduce the incidence of moving large amounts of cash around the country, and thus to reduce the opportunities of robbery of the cash in transit.
Ceisteanna—Questions Oral Answers. - Cash in Transit.
10.
Cash is used to a large extent here for the payment of wages and benefits and as long as this remains the position there will be a need to move large amounts of cash. Any movement away from cash transactions to payments by cheque and the use of "plastic" money would be of great benefit in reducing the amount of cash in circulation and, therefore, vulnerable to robbery and I would very much welcome a move in this direction.
As the House is aware, many large movements of cash have the benefit of Army/Garda protection and I have been informed by the Garda authorities that following a recent review of the position arrangements are in train to effect a 25 per cent reduction in the number of such cash movements.
Does the Minister agree that with all the saving accounts, bank accounts, lodgment machines, credit machines and so forth involving frequent movements of cash, it is not only desirable but necessary that we should not have large convoys of Army and Garda bringing large amounts of money to outlying areas? Will the Minister agree that little has been done in the past few years to reduce the amount of cash being used?
I do not agree with that. In the past three and a half years on a number of occasions we have reviewed the possibility of reducing the amount of cash in circulation where the matter lies within the power of the Government or semi-State agencies. I do not think it is correct to say it is in any way ridiculous that large amounts of cash are in circulation. The fact is that many people who are in receipt of various social assistance and wages do not have bank accounts. Therefore, there is a problem of paying or supporting people in those situations without the movement of cash. I can assure the House that, to the extent it proves possible to reduce the number of large cash movements and the amounts being moved, we will take those measures.
Will the Minister not agree that many private concerns pay by cheque? Various Government Departments, including the Departments of Social Welfare and Labour, could take an example from the private sector. Even small concerns have made the change because of the danger of robberies.
Of course I recognise that, but I invite the Deputy to consider this point. Even in cases where we can make the primary payment by cheque — I am talking now of social assistance and various social welfare payments — at some stage the cheque has to return into cash. In many cases the recipients of payments by cheque do not have bank accounts and they will have to turn the cheque into cash. Therefore, somewhere along the line that means there is a requirement for a substantial amount of cash to be moved to a point.
Will the Minister not agree that when it is reduced to an individual level only a small amount of cash is involved and there is no great problem in monitoring it?
I am calling Question No. 11.