Some 80 per cent of bank deposits are held by the wealthiest 20 per cent of the population. In other words, tax cuts for the rich paid for by the rest of the population. As a result, the deposit interest paid by Irish banks was consistently well below that available across the euro area. Irish households are hardly likely to have the know-how to invest in start-ups. There are better ways to achieve the presumed objective of this investment scheme without making rich households even richer.

Source: The Irish Times April 06, 2026 06:31 UTC