According to data from the Central Bank of Ireland, as of the end of December, Irish households held €169.8bn in savings combined. BPFI chief executive Brian Hayes said it was “vital” Ireland looks at “what we can do at home to strengthen long-term savings, investment and financial resilience”. “A domestic savings and investment account would give Irish households a simple, internationally competitive way to build assets over time while ensuring more domestic capital is available for Irish businesses and the wider European economy,” he said. Anyone with a bank account can trade through an ISK account in Sweden and they are not subject to capital gains tax. In addition, the EU is pursuing a savings and investment union which seeks to create better financial opportunities for citizens, while enhancing the bloc’s financial system’s capability to connect savings with productive investments.

Source: Irish Examiner February 12, 2026 00:13 UTC