Ireland

The EY European Attractiveness Survey published on 22 May 2026 found that Ireland attracted 75 FDI projects in 2025, matching 2024 levels, and climbed two places to 15th overall in Europe for FDI attractiveness. Software and IT services was the leading sector, with project numbers doubling year-on-year to account for more than 40 per cent of the total, while research and development projects represented 25 per cent of Irish investments—far exceeding the European average of 7 per cent.

The Irish Times · 2026-05-22

United States-origin capital accounted for 53 per cent of inbound FDI to Ireland in 2025, substantially above the 19 per cent US share across Europe as a whole, underscoring Ireland's role as a preferred US gateway into the European Union. The EY survey also noted that Ireland ranked 10th in Europe on a per-population basis for FDI attractiveness, with 41 per cent of projects located outside Dublin, indicating a degree of regional distribution.

The Irish Times · 2026-05-22

Infrastructure constraints emerged as the top-rated risk to Ireland's future FDI attractiveness in the EY survey, rising from sixth position in the prior year, with energy costs, labour costs, and other input costs also cited as material concerns. IDA Ireland (Industrial Development Authority Ireland) acquired nine sites for foreign companies for €32.9 million in 2025, reflecting continued state-level land-banking activity to support greenfield investment.

The Irish Times · 2026-05-22

Ireland's Screening of Third Country Transactions Act 2023 (STCTA), which came into force on 6 January 2025, constitutes the country's first FDI screening regime and grants the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment authority to review, condition, or block transactions involving non-EU/EFTA acquirers on national security and public order grounds. The regime covers critical technologies including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, cybersecurity, aerospace, and quantum technologies, and is aligned with EU Directive 2022/2557 (the Critical Entities Resilience Directive) and the NIS2 Directive.

Norton Rose Fulbright · 2026-05-22

Ireland's VAT Modernisation programme is advancing: Irish Revenue confirmed in February 2026 the criteria for large corporates in scope of Phase One of mandatory e-invoicing and reporting obligations, commencing 1 November 2028, with all businesses required to be able to receive structured e-invoices from that date. The programme is being implemented in coordination with the Office of Government Procurement using the Pan-European Public Procurement Online (PEPPOL) framework.

Thomson Reuters / Pagero · 2026-05-22

A revised Consumer Protection Code entered into force on 24 March 2026, replacing the 2012 version, with new obligations on digital platform usability, greenwashing disclosures, and opt-in requirements for certain insurance product renewals. The Irish government is concurrently consulting on a Consumer Protection, Competition and Enforcement Bill that would expand the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission's (CCPC) enforcement powers and increase the maximum fines applicable for code breaches.

Fieldfisher / Lexology · 2026-05-22

US tariff policy remains the principal external macro risk for Ireland given the concentration of US-origin FDI and the country's export-oriented multinational base. PwC Ireland has flagged ongoing uncertainty around the scope and stacking of US International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)-based tariffs, with a US Supreme Court ruling on the validity of those measures still pending as of the reporting period.

PwC Ireland · 2026-05-22

Budget 2026 enhanced Ireland's Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit rate from 30 per cent to 35 per cent and raised the first-year payment threshold from €75,000 to €87,500, with an 'R&D Compass' document under preparation to refine qualifying expenditure definitions. The Special Assignee Relief Programme (SARP) was extended to 2030 with a minimum qualifying salary of €125,000, and the Foreign Earnings Deduction (FED) was extended to 2030 with an increased relief limit of €50,000.

Deloitte Ireland · 2026-05-22

The EU Listing Act, a package of legislative changes to listing rules and MiFID II, is being phased into Irish law during 2026, with the general objective of reducing the cost and complexity of capital market access for EU companies, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs). A separate Multiple-Vote Share Structure (MVSS) Directive, also part of the Listing Act package, does not require transposition into Irish law until 5 December 2026.

Fieldfisher / Lexology · 2026-05-22

Ireland's agri-food sector is subject to enhanced regulatory oversight following the Agri-Food (Price and Marketing Information) Regulations 2025, published 30 December 2025 and operative from 31 December 2026, which confer compulsory data-provision powers on An Rialálaí Agraibhia (the Agri-Food Regulator). Businesses in the agri-food supply chain should initiate internal data systems preparation ahead of the operative date, as the Regulator may compel price and market information where voluntary requests have not been fulfilled.

Arthur Cox LLP · 2026-05-22

Ireland's participation exemption for foreign dividends was expanded under Budget 2026 to include jurisdictions applying non-refundable dividend withholding taxes, broadening the country's appeal as a holding company location. Tax rates on Irish-domiciled and equivalent offshore investment funds and life assurance policies were reduced from 41 per cent to 38 per cent, reinforcing the competitive positioning of Ireland's financial services sector.

Deloitte Ireland · 2026-05-22

The Central Bank of Ireland's UCITS (Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities) framework continues to serve as a key commercial differentiator for asset managers, with IDA Ireland positioning the regulatory environment as retail-investor-oriented and aligned with international distribution requirements. Ireland remains the only English-speaking EU member state following the United Kingdom's departure from the EU, sustaining a structural advantage for US and other anglophone investors seeking EU market access.

IDA Ireland · 2026-05-22