Ministers Donohoe and Troy launch public consultation on new international financial services strategy
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From: Department of Finance
- Published on: 21 July 2025
- Last updated on: 22 July 2025
Minister of Finance Paschal Donohoe and Minister of State for Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance, Robert Troy have today published a public consultation paper inviting views to inform development of a new Ireland for Finance strategy.
Ireland for Finance is a whole-of-government strategy for the development of the international financial services sector. The strategy is delivered through public-private sector collaboration, with implementation overseen by the Minister of State for Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance.
There has been significant progress since the current strategy and actions plans were initially adopted in 2019 including:
- growth of over of 13,000 jobs from 2019 to 2024 with over 60,000 now employed in the international financial services sector;
- strong growth of jobs in regional locations – almost 50% of all funds sector jobs are in regional locations;
- improvement in the ranking of Dublin to 14th in 2024 from 30th in 2020 in the Global Financial Centres Index and now ranked 3rd leading centre in Western Europe;
- establishment of an Innovation Sandbox Programme by the Central Bank of Ireland to inform early-stage development of selected innovative initiatives;
- delivery of an Institute of Bankers Financial Services Skills Framework; and
- establishment of the Women in Finance Charter, now with 104 signatory firms
The current iteration of Ireland for Finance expires in 2026, and in line with Programme for Government commitments, Department of Finance officials are developing a new strategy for the period 2026-2030.
The public consultation period will run until 19 September 2025.
Stakeholders are invited to submit their views on how Ireland can maintain and grow its position as a leading global hub for specialist international financial services.
The public consultation seeks to identify areas of opportunity and barriers to competitiveness and growth. The objective is to develop a comprehensive strategy for the sector which includes targeted, evidence-based and agile policy measures designed to enhance Ireland’s international competitiveness and foster sustainable growth.
Department of Finance officials expect to present a draft report to the Minister of State in early 2026, with a view to the Minister for Finance bringing this to Government to approve publication of the new revised strategy by mid-2026.
Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe, welcomed the publication, noting:
“The launch of the public consultation is an important milestone in the development of the new Ireland for Finance strategy for 2026-2030; a Programme for Government commitment.
"The Ireland for Finance strategy has been key to the significant growth we have experienced in our international financial services sector. The sector is a significant contributor to our economy, now directly employing over 60,000 people, with a quarter of these jobs outside Dublin.”
Commenting on today’s publication Minister Troy said:
“The new Ireland for Finance strategy will guide us to the end of the decade and beyond. It will seek to reinforce and enhance Ireland’s international competitiveness and foster sustainable growth in our international financial services sector. This is a pivotal moment for an important sector to the Irish economy, against the backdrop of an uncertain geopolitical situation. There is significant opportunity within our international financial services sector across key areas of growth like artificial intelligence, sustainable finance, and the sector’s strong regional footprint.
"The public consultation process provides an opportunity for stakeholders to express their views on the future development of the sector, and I strongly encourage all interested parties to respond.”
Notes
In 2015, the government launched an International Financial Services Strategy, IFS2020. This was followed in 2019 by a new strategy for the further development of the sector, Ireland for Finance, which was further updated in 2022. The current iteration of the strategy expires in 2026.
The Ireland for Finance Strategy 2026-2030 Consultation Paper is accessible here: Ireland for Finance Strategy 2026-2030 - Consultation Paper
Submissions are welcomed to iffconsultation@finance.gov.ie