Fintech and payments firms are planning to hire in Ireland over the next year, with the same proportion reporting a positive or very positive outlook for the sector, according to a survey by the Fintech and Payments Association of Ireland (FPAI) Fintech Survey 2026.
The survey found continued investment across the sector, although firms identified regulatory complexity and the cost base as significant challenges.
Four in five respondents said they were investing in internal upskilling and reskilling, while 85% reported productivity improvements from using artificial intelligence (AI).
Regulatory complexity and the cost base were each rated ‘very challenging’ by 40% of respondents.
Access to the EU market and Ireland’s corporation tax regime were identified as key advantages of operating in Ireland.
However, respondents also identified areas where they believe the sector could improve. More than half (58%) cited decision-making timelines as a key consideration when collaborating with banks, followed by technical integration at 42%, procurement at 37% and risk requirements at 37%.
Almost three-quarters (70%) of respondents said standard application programming interfaces (APIs) and frameworks could improve collaboration between banks and fintech firms.
Industry sandboxes, shared know-your-customer (KYC) or fraud utilities, and FPAI-led programmes were each supported by 45%.
John O’Beirne, FPAI chair and CEO and executive director of Squareup International, said the results showed confidence in the sector but also a need for faster implementation of policy and regulation.
“Firms are clear that competitiveness increasingly depends on how quickly policy and regulation are translated into practical implementation,” O’Beirne said.
He added: “Proportionate requirements, greater certainty and faster delivery will be essential if Ireland is to maintain its competitive edge and leading role in fintech and payments innovation.”
AI is already being used widely across the firms surveyed. 85% said they use AI as general productivity assistants, while 60% use it for customer service and 55% for software development.
Trust and explainability concerns were identified as the leading barrier to wider AI adoption, cited by 60% of respondents. Regulatory uncertainty was cited by 55%.
O’Beirne said the findings indicated that addressing those concerns would be important as firms expanded their use of AI.
“AI is already widely used across the sector, with 85 per cent of respondents reporting productivity improvements,” he said.
O’Beirne added: “However, concerns around trust and regulatory uncertainty may be holding back deeper adoption.”
Patryk Goron
Ltd
