Ireland: Financial Services

The Central Bank of Ireland has released findings from its thematic review examining how MiFID investment firms manage liquidity risk, revealing both strengths and critical gaps in compliance frameworks. While most firms demonstrate adequate risk assessment capabilities, the review identifies specific weaknesses in limit calibrations, stress testing methodologies, and contingent funding arrangements that require immediate board attention. Firms must now conduct self-assessments against regulatory expectatio

European securities regulators are launching a comprehensive assessment of crypto-asset service providers' digital operational resilience, with a particular focus on custody activities and distributed ledger technology risks. The exercise will examine how firms manage critical areas including key storage, transaction controls, incident response, and third-party dependencies under the newly enforceable Digital Operational Resilience Act.

Ireland's EU Council Presidency has launched a legislative-political agenda for the financial services sector, prioritizing competitiveness, simplification, and strategic resilience aligned with the Draghi and Letta reports. The program shifts EU financial market regulation from post-crisis risk reduction toward capital market deepening and digital sovereignty, with binding delivery commitments and timelines through year-end 2026.