Business Post Op-Ed: Pat Lardner on Building a Stronger Savings and Investment Culture

Ireland is one of the world’s leading investment fund domiciles, yet Irish households continue to face significant barriers when it comes to investing for their own futures.

A new Irish Funds opinion piece, published in the Business Post, explores how Ireland can build a stronger savings and investment culture and encourage more households to participate in long-term investment.

New research from the European Fund and Asset Management Association (EFAMA) highlights the potential impact of how people choose to save. €10,000 held in a bank deposit account between 2014 and 2025 would have fallen in real purchasing power to approximately €7,605. By comparison, the same amount invested in a simple, balanced fund portfolio would have grown to more than €12,700.

In the opinion piece, Irish Funds CEO Pat Lardner examines the changes needed to help Irish savers make greater use of long-term investment opportunities.

Three reforms are highlighted as having the potential to make a meaningful difference:

• Phased removal of deemed disposal.

• Equal tax treatment for ETFs, bringing their taxation in line with Capital Gains Tax.

• A well-designed Savings and Investment Account.

With Ireland playing an important role in shaping the EU’s Savings and Investments Union, there is a timely opportunity to consider how Ireland’s domestic tax framework can better support long-term retail investment and help households build greater financial resilience.

Read the full opinion piece in the Business Post.