Stormont has moved to keep cash machines on rural high streets for another year. A Department of Finance Order made on 19 February 2026 would extend the full rates exemption for cashpoints in designated rural areas until 1 April 2027. It replaces last year’s instrument and will only take effect the day after MLAs vote to affirm it, as required under the affirmative resolution procedure.

“An important step in protecting our remaining rural ATMs,” was how Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA Áine Murphy described the measure when the exemption was revived last year - reflecting how central cash access remains in towns that have lost branches. (sinnfein.ie)

The legal mechanics are straightforward. Under Article 42(1F) and (1G) of the Rates (Northern Ireland) Order 1977, separate entries for ATMs in the valuation list can be marked wholly exempt from rates when they sit in a designated rural area. The 2026 rule simply shifts the ‘relevant year’ cut‑off to 1 April 2027 and revokes the 2025 Order that had set 1 April 2026.

Why it matters: Northern Ireland draws out more cash per head than any other UK nation or region. LINK data reported by the Independent shows people in NI withdrew £2,274 on average in 2024, with Yorkshire and the Humber (£1,696) and the North East (£1,682) not far behind - a reminder that the North still leans on notes and coins. (the-independent.com)

Stormont’s Finance Committee has already warned of the gap left by closures. A committee‑reported analysis last autumn said more than a fifth of consumers here had seen their local bank shut within three years, and that many rural households now live more than a mile from free access to cash. (newsletter.co.uk)

Ministers have framed the ATM relief as part of a wider effort to steady high streets through rates policy. In March 2025, Finance Minister John O’Dowd confirmed continuation of the rural ATMs exemption for 2025/26 alongside other support, arguing that backing local businesses includes protecting the services they rely on - cash access among them. (finance-ni.gov.uk)

Councils are signposting the help too. Derry City and Strabane, for example, lists “Rural ATMs” alongside Small Business Rate Relief on its rates guidance - a small but telling detail for shopkeepers who host in‑store or in‑wall machines. (derrystrabane.com)

There’s a contrast across the border. Since 28 November 2025, the Republic of Ireland has set statutory minimum coverage for ATMs and cash service points, with the Central Bank monitoring compliance. Northern Ireland’s approach, by comparison, uses rating relief to keep machines viable in rural spots. (centralbank.ie)

What happens next: the 2026 Order bears the signature of senior Department of Finance official Andrew McAvoy and will come into operation the day after the Assembly affirms it. For context, the comparable 2025 instrument was affirmed on 10 March 2025 - a rough guide to timing if MLAs move quickly again. (niassembly.gov.uk)

For rural businesses thinking practically, the relief removes the separate rating charge on an ATM’s entry in the valuation list for the 2026–27 year. If you host a machine, speak to your provider and Land & Property Services about how the exemption is applied; it’s a modest policy lever with outsized impact for villages that trade in cash.