IG calls for urgent clarity on Irish investment scheme as research shows strong public backing for UK ISA-style model 

• IG warns investment scheme rules must be published urgently to support 2027 launch

• IG research finds UK ISA-style model more than twice as popular with consumers than Swedish wealth-tax alternative

• Almost six in ten (58%) Irish adults would start investing or invest more with tax-free investment wrapper

Dublin, 18 May 2026 - Investing and trading platform IG has called on the government to urgently publish details of its proposed retail investment scheme, warning that firms need clarity soon if they are to be operationally ready for a planned 2027 launch.

The call accompanies new consumer research commissioned by IG which shows strong public support for a simple, accessible UK ISA-style investment wrapper designed to encourage greater participation in long-term investing. Given an estimated €170 billion currently sits in Irish deposit accounts, even a modest shift in consumer behaviour, unlocked by the right framework, could redirect significant capital into long-term productive investment.

The research, which surveyed over 1,000 Irish adults, found that almost six in ten (58%) Irish adults would either start investing or invest more if a tax-free investment wrapper existed, comprising 35% of non-investors who say they would start for the first time, and 23% of existing investors who say they would invest more. When asked which model they would prefer, a UK ISA-style approach was more than twice as popular with the public than a Swedish-style flat annual tax model (43% vs 20%).

The survey also found that over two-thirds (67%) of Irish adults currently do not invest outside of their pension, underlining the scale of the opportunity to increase long-term retail participation in financial markets. Support for the ISA-style model was consistent across genders, despite women being significantly less likely to currently invest than men (27% vs 40%), suggesting a well-designed scheme could play an important role in closing Ireland's gender investment gap.

IG has welcomed recent engagement with the Department of Finance and policymakers on the design of the proposed scheme. The firm is now urging the government to prioritise simplicity in the final framework to encourage broad participation from both consumers and providers.

IG believes a clear and practical structure would help attract domestic and international operators, supporting greater competition, innovation and lower-cost investing for consumers. At the same time, it warned that excessive complexity could reduce provider participation and ultimately limit consumer choice.

Michael Healy, UK & Ireland Managing Director at IG, said: “Ireland has a major opportunity to create a simple and competitive investment framework that helps more people build long-term wealth through investing. Our research shows people clearly favour a UK ISA-style approach over more complex wealth-tax alternatives, and simplicity will be critical to driving participation and ensuring strong competition across the market.

“We welcome the constructive engagement we have had with policymakers and industry to date, but there is now an urgent need for clarity on the final rules if firms have any realistic prospect of supporting a launch in 2027. International providers can play an important role in increasing access, improving consumer outcomes and helping drive down costs, but that will depend on the scheme being practical and straightforward to implement.”

-ENDS-

Notes to editors

For any press enquiries, please contact:

Sodali & Co: igireland@client.sodali.com

IG PR: jack.crone@ig.com or press@ig.com

About the research

IG commissioned accredited research agency Norstat to survey over 1,000 adults in Ireland. The survey was carried out between 8-12 May 2026, with an average interview length of 3 minutes. The target audience comprised Irish adults aged 18 and over, resident across all four provinces. Quotas and profiling were applied to ensure a balanced and nationally representative sample across the following key demographic variables: age, gender, social grade, and region.

About IG Group

IG Group (LSEG:IGG) provides online trading platforms and educational resources to empower ambitious clients around the globe. Headquartered in the UK, IG Group is a FTSE 100 company that offers clients access to c.19,000 financial markets worldwide.     

Methodology for population extrapolation

The estimate that approximately 1.4 million additional Irish adults could start investing is based on the survey finding that 35% of Irish adults said they do not currently invest but would start investing if Ireland introduced a tax-free investment account.

This percentage was applied to Ireland’s adult population aged 18 and over. Based on an estimated adult population of approximately 4.1 million, 35% equates to around 1.4 million people.