Ireland: Finance and Banking

The European Commission has unveiled a comprehensive Communication addressing the structural challenges that limit EU banking sector competitiveness, proposing sweeping reforms to prudential regulation, cross-border integration, and regulatory complexity. With formal legislative proposals expected in Q1 2027, this initiative represents one of the most ambitious banking regulatory reform packages in recent EU history, fundamentally reshaping how banks operate across member states.

The statutory instrument transposing the Capital Requirements Directive (EU) 2024/1619 (“CRD VI”) into Irish law has been published.

As the EU's CRD VI regulations introduce sweeping changes to cross-border banking operations, non-EU banks face a critical deadline of January 2027 to establish licensed branches or restructure their service delivery models.

The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment has launched a public consultation on targeted reforms to the Limited Partnerships Act 1907, proposing changes that could significantly impact Ireland's private funds landscape. The consultation addresses three key areas: increasing the maximum number of partners from 20 to 149, introducing a statutory whitelist of permitted activities for limited partners, and allowing greater flexibility regarding capital contributions and withdrawals.

From 11 January 2027, non-EU banks and significant investment firms must establish licensed branches in each EU Member State where they provide core banking services, or operate through authorized EU entities. Ireland has implemented CRD VI's Article 21c requirements through faithful transposition, introducing a third-country branch regime that affects cross-border lending involving Irish companies, with important exemptions including reverse solicitation that may enable continued market participation.

The European Single Access Point (ESAP) Regulation introduces new procedural obligations for issuers of securities in Ireland, requiring parallel submission of prospectus, transparency, and market abuse information...

The Court of Appeal¹ has this month issued an important judgment clarifying the law on the enforcement of possession orders in Ireland. The Court held that the 12-year limitation period prescribed by the Statute of Limitations 1957 for "actions upon a judgment" does not apply to applications for leave to issue execution of a possession order.

When lending to an Irish company under English or US law, specific filing and registration requirements apply to security documents.

The Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) has two consultations under the Finance (Provision of Access to Cash Infrastructure) Act 2025 (the Act) closing on 4 March 2026.

Ireland's EU Council Presidency has launched a legislative-political agenda for the financial services sector, prioritizing competitiveness, simplification, and strategic resilience aligned with the Draghi and Letta reports. The program shifts EU financial market regulation from post-crisis risk reduction toward capital market deepening and digital sovereignty, with binding delivery commitments and timelines through year-end 2026.

How tax transparency rules affect lending to non-Irish limited partnerships with Irish partners. This forms part of the August 2026 Edition of FUNDed

Prediction markets are rapidly expanding from niche financial instruments to mainstream retail products, but their regulatory classification across EU jurisdictions remains uncertain. Are these event contracts financial instruments under MiFID, crypto-assets under MiCAR, or gambling products subject to national betting laws? The answer depends on product structure, underlying events, and jurisdiction, creating significant compliance challenges for operators seeking to scale across Europe.