Banks have agreed new measures to ensure employees follow protocol in so-called 'tiger' kidnapping situations by limiting their access to large sums of cash to handover.
Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern met with Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy and bank representatives today at the Department for Justice to discuss measures to counteract this form of crime.
It is hoped that limiting employees' access to cash will help them to act dispassionately in hostage situations.
"There are protocols in place to deal with these situations when they arise," said Justice Minister Dermot Ahern.
"Both the Commissioner and myself emphasised again that the key to resolving these situations successfully is to notify the Gardaí immediately if it is possible to do so.
"We recognise, of course, the pressure employees are under when they see their families at risk and they are warned by gangs not to tell gardaí. But in fact it is in the interests of the people concerned to involve the gardaí at the earliest possible stage. Otherwise they are putting the fate of their loved ones completely in the hands of the gangs.
"When people in the financial institutions find one of their colleagues in this situation of course at a human level they want to do everything to help. We have to get across the message that the best way of helping is to follow those protocols."
The heads of banking institutions have indicated that they fully accept these measures. Among those attending was Bank of Ireland chief executive Richie Boucher. The family of Bank of Ireland official Adrian Ronan was kidnapped on Tuesday in a €3m tiger robbery attempt.
A spokesman for the Bank of Ireland said: "Our primary concern is the safety and security of our staff and we are committed to working with Gardaí and the Minister of Justice on any additional security measures."