Ireland

On 14 September Astellas announced a larger investment in its biopharmaceutical plant in Tralee. The project builds on an original €330m investment and will double the plant's drug-product manufacturing capacity, creating more highly skilled roles. It shows that life-sciences manufacturing is still being put into Ireland despite uncertainty over US tariffs.

IDA Ireland · 2026-09-14

Bank of Ireland raised its forecast for growth in modified domestic demand to 3.8% for 2026 and 2.8% for 2027, mainly because of the AI-related investment cycle. It still expects GDP to fall by 1.2% in 2026. For entrants this means investment linked to technology and digital infrastructure is driving domestic activity, while headline GDP mostly reflects the unwinding of last year's exports.

Bank of Ireland Economic Research Unit · 2026-10-01

Budget 2027 cut the standard capital gains tax rate to 31% with effect from 7 October 2026. This lowers the tax on business sales, asset disposals and corporate restructurings, which is relevant to entrants planning acquisitions or exits.

Azets Ireland (Budget 2027 hub) · 2026-10-06

The national minimum wage will rise by 79 cent to €14.94, and the point at which the 40% income tax rate starts goes up to €46,500. These changes take effect in the January 2027 payroll cycle. Employers will need to update labour cost budgets and payroll systems before then.

The Irish Times · 2026-10-06

Temporary reduced rates of fuel excise were extended to 28 February 2027, and carbon tax on kerosene and natural gas was cut to €48.50 per tonne, a rate the government says it will keep for the rest of its term. Our searches found no new trade-policy or tariff changes affecting Ireland in the reporting window.

The Irish Times · 2026-10-06

On 10 September the ECB raised all three of its key interest rates by 25 basis points, taking the deposit rate to 2.50% from 16 September, because the Middle East conflict is keeping inflation pressure high. For entrants funding an Irish operation, borrowing costs in euros are now rising rather than falling, and the ECB has said it is not committing to any particular path for future rates.

European Central Bank · 2026-09-10

Annual inflation rose to 4.1% in September from 3.7% in August, the highest rate since January 2024. Housing and utilities costs rose 9.5%. Entrants should expect continued pressure on wages, rents and energy costs when planning the cost base of an Irish operation.

Trading Economics (reporting CSO data) · 2026-10-08

On 6 October the government presented Budget 2027, an €8.5bn package that includes about €1.65bn in tax reductions and an extra €1.2bn set aside for public-sector pay. The state's fiscal watchdog warned that the measures put the public finances on a worse path, which matters because so much revenue depends on corporation tax paid by multinationals.

The Irish Times · 2026-10-06

More than 300,000 public-sector workers plan to strike on 14 October, the largest day of national strike action since the period after the 2008 crash, and SIPTU has announced a further strike for 21 October. The government says it has no plans to improve its pay offer, so entrants should expect possible disruption to public services, permitting and parliamentary business.

RTÉ News · 2026-10-09

Budget 2027 allocates €1.5bn in capital funding to water infrastructure, more than €1bn to affordable housing supports (aimed at 8,500 starter homes), and more than €1bn to the climate and energy department, partly to develop offshore renewables. These are known bottlenecks for anyone setting up in Ireland, and the spending is relevant to firms in construction, utilities and energy.

The Irish Times · 2026-10-06