BPFI welcomes announcement of Government funding to ensure continuation of Women in Finance Charter
Thursday 8th January 2026 – Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) welcomes today’s announcement from Minister of State with responsibility for Financial Services, Credit Unions, and Insurance, Robert Troy, T.D., to provide direct Government support for Ireland’s Women in Finance Charter through the funding of a data partner. The budget of up to €50,000 in funding will support continued research and data gathering.
Ireland’s Women in Finance Charter seeks to improve female representation in financial services firms operating in Ireland. Initially established for a three-year pilot period from 2022 to 2025, the Charter has built significant momentum. BPFI are one of a number of leading organisations in this initiative with active participation from the Department of Finance and the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, and Enterprise Ireland.
Brian Hayes, Chief Executive of BPFI said: “The Women in Finance Charter is driving real progress towards a more inclusive financial services sector. By empowering and advancing female talent, firms are enriching leadership pipelines, improving decision-making, and driving long-term business performance. Its success shows what can be achieved when industry and government work together with a shared purpose. As part of this, BPFI is proud to champion the Charter and encourage every organisation in financial services to join us in building an inclusive sector that truly reflects the society we serve.”
Signatories to the Charter now number 104 companies, representing over half of all employees in the sector (with currently over 72,000 employees in the financial and insurance sector). According to the Charter’s most recent annual report, female representation at senior levels of signatory firms has improved since its inception:
- At Board level, where average female representation is 36.3% (30.3% when firms signed up)
- At Senior management (43.4%, compared to 36.2% when firms signed up)
- At CEO level (22.6%, compared to 19.4% when firms signed up)
Government funding for the data partner will help maintain this progress, alongside the continued leadership and contribution of industry partners to drive positive change and showcase best practice. For the initial three-year pilot period the ESRI has been the data partner and centrally involved in the production of the Annual Report. As Government is now financially supporting the analytical work, a procurement process is being undertaken to secure a data partner for the coming period.
Ireland’s Women in Finance Charter, Annual Report 2025 is available to download here.
