Live Updates

The role of economics during times of major change

In his latest blog, Governor Gabriel Makhlouf argues that economists must adapt their analytical frameworks and expand their focus beyond traditional topics to address emerging challengesโ€”such as geopolitical upheaval and defence spendingโ€”in order to provide robust evidence-based policy advice that serves the public interest.

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Central Bank of Ireland completes sale of Spencer Dock (East Wing) building to the Office of Public Works

Central Bank of Ireland has successfully completed the sale of its Spencer Dock (East Wing) building to the Office of Public Works for โ‚ฌ23.7m. The sale of Spencer Dock was a key element of the Central Bankโ€™s longer term property strategy aligned to our decision to develop a single Dockland Campus through the purchase of our North Wall Quay building and subsequent purchase of our Mayor Street building. This sale of the East Wing, to Office of Public Works on 22 January 2026, follows the earlie...

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Central Bank of Ireland and Banca dโ€™Italia launch first joint Innovation Data Challenge

Central Bank of Ireland and Banca dโ€™Italia are launching the Innovation Data Challenge 2026, a joint initiative designed to foster cutting-edge research and innovation in the retail payments sector. The Challenge reflects the shared commitment of the two Institutions to promoting applied research, international collaboration, and the responsible use of data and technology to shape the future of payments. The initiative brings together leading Irish and Italian universities, including Universi...

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๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช CBI Enforcement medium

Speech by Gerry Cross, Director, Capital Markets and Funds, Central Bank of Ireland at Compliance Institute AGM - Supervising for success: some themes for a time of change

Introduction Good morning and thank you to Michael for inviting me to speak at the Compliance Instituteโ€™s Annual General Meeting. It is always a real pleasure to engage with compliance professionals. At the Central Bank, we recognise the essential role played by the compliance community in ensuring that financial firms are well-run and contributing to a financial system that is trusted and resilient. We also recognise the important role played by the compliance institute, equipping those work...

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This speech by Gerry Cross, Director of Capital Markets and Funds at the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI), outlines key supervisory priorities including securing customers' interests via the revised Consumer Protection Code, Individual Accountability Framework (IAF) implementation, regulatory simplification, resilience, technology leverage, and an evolving outcomes-focused supervision approach. It matters because it signals CBI's expectations for compliance professionals to drive these outcomes in firms, emphasizing proportionality and ongoing engagement amid regulatory evolution. Compliance teams must integrate these themes to align with CBI's shift toward less process-driven, more effective oversight. #

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Central Bank of Ireland Issues Warning on Unauthorised Firm โ€“ Fraudulent entity clones details of Irish registered company, Solunar Finance Holdings Limited

Solunar Finance Holdings Limited (Clone) โ€“ Central Bank of Ireland Issues Warning on Unauthorised Firm

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โ€œThe Year That Was and Will Beโ€

In this, his final blog for 2025, Governor Gabriel Makhlouf reflects on Ireland and the euro areaโ€™s economic performance and looks ahead to 2026, drawing on the Quarterly Bulletin and latest eurosystem staff projections published this week.

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Quarterly Bulletin 2025:4 Prudent ambition needed as multinational investment underpins more positive growth outlook

MDD is projected to grow by just below 4 per cent in 2025. From 2026 to 2028, MDD is forecast to grow at an annual average rate of 2.9 per cent per annum. More positive momentum in MNE investment amid lower uncertainty contrasts with slower pace of growth in domestic sectors and cooling of the labour market as drag from capacity constraints becomes evident. Outlook for slightly higher overall inflation, as underlying services price growth more persistent at a higher rate than pre-pandemic. Th...

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Public statement relating to Enforcement Action between Central Bank of Ireland and Philip Smith

Mr Philip Smith, former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Executive Director of RSA Insurance Ireland DAC disqualified for 13 years by the Central Bank of Ireland for his admitted participation in a breach of financial services law by RSAII On 1 December 2025 the Central Bank of Ireland reprimanded Mr Smith and disqualified him for 13 years from being a person concerned in the management of a regulated financial service provider for his participation in a breach by RSA Insurance Ireland DAC (...

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The Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) reprimanded and disqualified former RSA Insurance Ireland DAC (RSAII) CEO Philip Smith for 13 years from management roles in regulated financial service providers due to his admitted role in under-reserving large loss claims, breaching Article 13(1)(a) of the European Communities (Non-Life Insurance) Framework Regulations 1994 (S.I. No. 359/1994). This enforcement action underscores CBI's commitment to individual accountability for senior executives who circumvent controls, risking policyholder protection and firm solvency, as evidenced by RSAII's subsequent need for a major capital injection. It matters for compliance professionals as it demonstrates CBI's use of prolonged disqualifications and inquiries under the Administrative Sanctions Procedure (ASP) to deter governance failures in insurance firms. #

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Economic Resilience: What Next? โ€“ Speech by Governor Gabriel Makhlouf at The Royal Irish Academy

Good evening. Thank you for the invitation to join you today. This evening I want to talk about economic resilience, what it is and whether we have enough of it. I spoke about economic resilience in my first speech as Governor โ€“ 6 years ago โ€“ and wrote to the Minister for Finance about it in early February this year. After everything thatโ€™s happened since February, it feels timely to take stock of where we are. My conclusion is that we need to give it greater focus. Let me start by setting ou...

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Central Bank of Ireland publishes roadmap to deliver a more effective and efficient regulatory framework

New report outlines the Central Bankโ€™s approach to more effective and efficient regulatory and supervisory framework, reducing complexity and improving clarity while maintaining resilience and important protections in the system. This work builds on the Central Bankโ€™s strategy to transform regulation and supervision, including the introduction of our new integrated supervisory approach and the improvements made in our gatekeeping processes in recent years. The roadmap sets out a comprehensive...

AI Analysis

The Central Bank of Ireland published a comprehensive multi-year roadmap on December 10, 2025, aimed at streamlining its regulatory and supervisory framework across four pillars: supervision, regulation, gatekeeping, and reporting. This initiative represents a strategic shift toward more effective and efficient oversight while explicitly maintaining resilience standards and consumer protections, responding to EU calls for regulatory reform to enhance competitiveness.

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Remarks at the Climate Risk and Sustainable Finance Forum โ€“ Governor Gabriel Makhlouf

Good morning and welcome everyone. I am delighted to address the eighth meeting of this Forum. When the Forum was established three years ago, the goal was to bring together participants from across Ireland to build a shared approach to understanding and managing the systemic risks that climate change poses, while supporting the orderly transition of households and businesses to the net zero objective that weโ€™re all familiar with. The Forum has come a long way in those three years. We have es...

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The Digital Euro: shaping the future while preserving trust

In this blog, Governor Gabriel Makhlouf writes about the development of the Digital Euro and how central banks foster trust and safety in the financial system and in the implementation of projects like the Digital Euro.

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๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช CBI Consultation high

Central Bank of Ireland launches Access to Cash consultation

The Central Bank of Ireland has today (5 December) launched a public consultation on the implementation of our new Access to Cash responsibilities. Deputy Governor Vasileios Madouros said: โ€œAmid a rapidly evolving payments landscape, the Central Bank of Ireland is committed to making sure that cash continues to be readily available as a means of payment. Todayโ€™s consultation is an important step towards the implementation of the Central Bankโ€™s new responsibilities under the Access to Cash leg...

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The Central Bank of Ireland has launched a public consultation on implementing new **Access to Cash** responsibilities under the Finance (Provision of Access to Cash Infrastructure) Act 2025, which commenced on 30 June 2025. This consultation addresses two critical areas: identifying local deficiencies in cash infrastructure and establishing minimum ATM service standards. The initiative reflects regulatory commitment to ensuring cash remains readily available as payment preferences shift toward digital channels.

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The Central Bank takes enforcement action against Coinbase Europe Limited for anti-money laundering failures

The Central Bank of Ireland has fined Coinbase Europe Limited โ‚ฌ21,464,734 for breaching its anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing transaction monitoring obligations between 2021 and 2025. The Central Bank of Ireland (the Central Bank) has fined Coinbase Europe Limited (Coinbase Europe) โ‚ฌ21,464,734 for breaching its anti-money laundering (AML) and combatting terrorist financing (CFT) obligations with respect to transaction monitoring as required by the Criminal Justice (Money L...

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The Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) fined Coinbase Europe Limited โ‚ฌ21,464,734 for AML/CFT transaction monitoring failures under the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010 (CJA 2010), involving over 30 million unmonitored transactions worth โ‚ฌ176 billion from April 2021 to March 2025. This marks CBI's first enforcement against a crypto firm, highlighting regulators' focus on robust real-time monitoring and timely Suspicious Transaction Reporting (STR) for virtual asset service providers (VASPs). It matters as it sets a precedent for EU crypto compliance amid MiCA and AMLA implementation, signaling increased scrutiny and potential multimillion-euro penalties for similar lapses. #

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Deutsche Bank Wealth Management (CLONE) / Deutsche Bank AG (CLONE) / DB UK Bank Limited (CLONE) - Central Bank of Ireland Issues Warning on Unauthorised Firm

Deutsche Bank Wealth Management (CLONE) / Deutsche Bank AG (CLONE) / DB UK Bank Limited (CLONE) - Central Bank of Ireland Issues Warning on Unauthorised Firm

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๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช CBI Consultation high

Credit Reports now available

Following a satisfactory review of the data submitted by banks and credit unions, to the Central Credit Register, the initial enquiry phase has now commenced. This means that from today borrowers and lenders can request a copy of credit reports from the Central Credit Register. Data on mortgages, personal loans, credit cards and overdrafts, which is backdated to 30 June 2017, is live on the system and is incorporated into credit reports. From 30 September 2018 it will be compulsory for credit...

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