Malcolm Byrne
Question:397. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the impact of the Women in Finance Charter; if it has applicability in other sectors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3686/26]
View answerTuesday, 20 January 2026
Questions (397)
Written answers
Ireland’s Women in Finance Charter is an industry-led, government supported initiative which seeks to improve female representation in financial services firms operating in Ireland.
This initiative is led by Banking and Payments Federation Ireland, Financial Services Ireland, Insurance Ireland and Irish Funds, with support from the Department of Finance, the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, and Enterprise Ireland as part of the Ireland for Finance strategy. There are now 104 signatory firms who have both signed the Charter and completed a baseline reporting survey. These firms employ over 72,000 workers representing 56 per cent of the Irish financial sector. Progress made by these firms therefore has the potential to significantly influence the opportunities and outcomes for women in the Irish financial sector.
Since its launch in 2022, female representation at senior levels of signatory firms has improved significantly:
• At Board level, average female representation is 36.3%, up from 30.3%
• At Senior management 43.4%, up from 36.2%
• At CEO level 22.6%, compared to 19.4% when firms first signed up, and
• At executive committee level representation went from 28.4% to 32.1%.
Aligned with Programme for Government commitments, direct funding support of €50,000 for the data partner for Ireland’s Women in Finance Charter was announced in January 2026. This funding underscores government commitment to continued progress in this area and a procurement process is currently underway for a data partner.
Broader work across the public sector in relation to gender equality initiatives includes:
• the independent, business-led, Balance for Better Business review group, supported by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment;
• Enterprise Ireland’s Women in Business activity; and
• The National Strategy for Women and Girls 2025-2030, which includes a focus on ensuring women can pursue their ambition and achieve their potential in any field.
Over the last number of years, in their role as the data partner, the ESRI produced an annual Charter report for 2022, 2023 and 2024. This may be of interest to wider industry bodies who wish to deepen their understanding of the Charter and potential applicability to their own sector.