A EUROPEAN BANK Holiday has left employees and social welfare recipients without payment this morning. 

Due to what’s known as a ‘SEPA holiday’, interbank transactions could not take place yesterday with Irish banks telling customers that payments will be processed today.

Both the European Central Bank and the European Clearing House were closed yesterday meaning transactions could not take place between banks in Ireland. 

Permanent TSB has told their customers in a statement that payment should reach customers accounts “by mid-morning”. 

Ulster Bank has said it is aware of “some delays” but told customers that they expect payments to credit at some stage this morning also.

The bank tweeted: “We’re aware of some delays with credits being received due to the bank holiday and expect these to credit this morning.

Bank of Ireland has told customers that payments will be processed today “after all credits have been successfully applied to customer accounts”. 

A spokesperson confirmed that all BoI payment files have now been processed.

The bank received a number of complaints on Twitter this morning from people who had not received their wages as per usual telling customers that “as yesterday was a European Bank Holiday no electronic Sepa payments have been processed. We are looking into this a matter of urgency.”

The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection has said it is also aware of the delay in payment.

“We are aware of an issue with lodgements into bank accounts this morning, including Social Welfare payments,” the Department tweeted this morning. “We will share updates and further information as soon as we have it.”

We are aware of an issue with lodgements into bank accounts this morning, including Social Welfare payments. We will share updates and further information as soon as we have it #UPDATE

— welfare.ie (@welfare_ie) May 2, 2019

In a statement to TheJournal.ie, AIB said: “As Wednesday 1st May is a European Bank Holiday any incoming SEPA payments due into your account from another Bank may not credit to your account until Thursday 2nd May 2019.”

“Any outgoing SEPA payments due to leave your account today may not debit until Thursday, 2nd May.”