Ireland-EIB Financing Group Reviews €900 Million Investment Delivery and Sets Priorities for Future Cooperation

Ireland-EIB Financing Group Reviews €900 Million Investment Delivery and Sets Priorities for Future Cooperation. EIB

(IN BRIEF) The EIB Ireland Financing Group met in Dublin to strengthen cooperation between Ireland and the European Investment Bank Group across major investment priorities including transport, innovation, housing, education, business financing, agriculture, clean energy and sustainable mobility. Chaired by Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris TD, the meeting reviewed the EIB Group’s €900 million in financing for Irish projects in 2025, including support for innovation, higher education, water and transport, and highlighted more than €8 billion provided by the EIB Group for long-term investment in Ireland over the past decade. New EIB support was confirmed for agrifood innovation and agricultural projects, while a new advisory agreement with the Department of Transport will support the development of a nationwide public EV charging network in partnership with Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland. The discussions also explored broader advisory cooperation in housing, clean energy, sustainable transport and the digital economy, as Ireland prepares to assume the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2026.

(PRESS RELEASE) Luxembourg, 5-Jun-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — The EIB Ireland Financing Group convened in Dublin to review progress in the European Investment Bank Group’s partnership with Ireland and to strengthen future cooperation across a wide range of investment priorities.

The meeting took place at the Department of Finance and brought together Government Ministers, senior officials and an EIB Group delegation led by EIB Vice-President Ioannis Tsakiris. It was chaired by the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, Simon Harris TD, who also serves as Ireland’s Governor at the EIB.

Discussions focused on the strong momentum of the EIB Group’s engagement in Ireland, including more than €900 million in financing delivered in 2025 for projects in innovation, higher education, water and transport. The meeting also examined opportunities to deepen cooperation in areas such as transport, innovation, housing, education, business financing, agriculture, clean energy, sustainable mobility and the digital economy.

Simon Harris welcomed the EIB delegation to Dublin and said the Ireland-EIB Financing Group provides an important platform to further deepen and broaden an already strong partnership. He noted that the EIB Group’s financial capacity and technical expertise can help accelerate major investment across Ireland, building on the €900 million in EIB and European Investment Fund financing delivered for Irish projects in 2025. He also welcomed new EIB backing for agrifood investment, highlighting its importance for jobs, farmers and rural communities.

EIB Vice-President Ioannis Tsakiris said the EIB Group’s work is focused on delivering real and measurable impact for people. He noted that Ireland has a strong record of translating financing into tangible results, which has helped the partnership continue to expand. He said the EIB Group is supporting Ireland in areas including research, housing delivery, education, greener transport infrastructure, agriculture, and Europe’s security and defence capabilities, combining capital with international advisory expertise.

The meeting highlighted the EIB Group’s sustained level of engagement in Ireland, with annual financing close to €1 billion. In 2025, this included major support for investment in water infrastructure, innovation, higher education and transport. A €300 million EIB financing package for water investment across Ireland had been confirmed by Taoiseach Micheál Martin during his visit to EIB headquarters in July last year.

Ireland remains one of the EIB Group’s most active and strategically important member state partners. Over the past decade, the EIB Group has provided more than €8 billion for long-term investment across the country. This financing has supported education, energy, transport, social housing, healthcare, agriculture, water projects, small businesses and corporate research and development.

During the EIB delegation’s visit, new support was confirmed for agrifood innovation and agricultural projects in Ireland. This underlines the EIB Group’s commitment to supporting investment needs across the country’s economy, including rural and farming communities.

The visit also included agreement on a new advisory partnership with the Department of Transport to support the delivery of a nationwide public charging network. Under this cooperation, EIB experts will work with Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland to help design and deliver a charging network that aims to place public charging infrastructure within reach of every community.

In addition, the EIB delegation held detailed discussions with Irish stakeholders on expanding advisory cooperation. The talks explored how the EIB Group’s technical expertise can be combined with financing to support housing delivery, clean energy, sustainable transport, and the digital and innovation economy.

The EIB Ireland Financing Group meeting reaffirmed the shared ambition to intensify cooperation across Ireland’s key priority sectors. With Ireland preparing to hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2026, the EIB Group signalled its readiness to support both Ireland’s domestic investment agenda and its role in shaping Europe’s wider economic and investment priorities.

Further details on new financing agreed during the EIB delegation’s visit will be announced separately.

EIB Group 

The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group is the financing arm of the European Union, owned by the 27 Member States, and one of the largest multilateral development banks in the world. In 2025, the EIB Group signed €100 billion in new financing and advisory services for over 870 high-impact projects under eight core priorities that support EU policy objectives: climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, territorial cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, strong global partnerships and the savings and investments union. Beyond long-term loans for large infrastructure, the EIB Group crowds in private investment for high-risk innovative projects and businesses, with a growing role in Europe’s markets for venture debt, venture capital, guarantees and securitisations.

The European Investment Fund (EIF) is the subsidiary of the EIB Group specialised in providing guarantees and equity to improve access to finance for small and medium-sized businesses and startups across Europe. Acting as an anchor investor, through its extensive network of partnering banks and investment funds, the EIF mobilises private investment and nurtures the ecosystem of venture capital funds to support innovative European entrepreneurs.

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SOURCE: European Investment Bank