Also: - Features: Mairead McGuinness, Commissioner for Financial Services, Financial Stability & Markets - 'A powerful portfolio, for Europe, Britain and Ireland'.
- Ireland's aircraft leasing sector rearranges its financial profile
- Investment Funds: ESG and sustainable finance for asset management
- Glossary: Finance Dublin's take on key words and the concepts behind them appearing in this edition.
- Dillon Eustace's Muireann Reedy on diversity and inclusion assessments which the Central Bank has undertaken.
- The Irish Tax Monitor - the economic turmoil and key taxation consequences, including VAT, Brexit, Funds and Budget 2021.
- 'Flexible' working under Covid and issues of tax jurisdiction that may arise.

The first available evidence shows that Ireland has fared better than the vast majority of other countries, and ironically, better than its nearest neighbour, the UK, which, according to comparative economic data published by the OECD has been (by far) the worst major economy affected by the pandemic to date. Sectoral data, and GDP data, including leading indicators for the Exchequer returns and monetary data, show that the Irish economy has been faring remarkably well.

Ireland's economy, and not least the financial services industry is one of the most open and successful in the world, and the question of the location of activities by multinational enterprises, and their staff is of critical importance, particularly in the context of the flexible working arrangements necessitated by Covid-19. In a Special Tax Feature, Deloitte Ireland LLP's Lisa Mangan provides an assessment of the issues in this month's Irish Tax Monitor.

28 September 2020: The Irish Association of Investment Managers (IAIM) has appointed former Minister of State with Responsibility for Financial Services, Michael D'Arcy as its new CEO. The Chair of IAIM, John Corrigan, said 'The industry is growing exponentially in Ireland and our expectation is for this trend to continue. This is our first step in onboarding the necessary expertise and competencies to face the challenge'. However the appointment was criticised by opposition TD Paul Murphy of RISE (part of Solidarity - People Before Profit) on the grounds that Mr D'Arcy the former Minister had been in office less than a year before taking up the appointment, despite the fact that both D'Arcy and the IAIM stated explicitly that he will not be engaged in any lobbying activities for at least a year after taking up the new post.

Overall, despite the devastating and tragic impacts it has had on society, overall a hopeful picture emerges that shows the industry has coped reasonably well with the initial phase of the pandemic, and is confronting the challenges with determination. The 2020 edition of the Yearbook is available to subscribers at this link. Just as the editorial Review & Outlook section summarises the state of play across the sectors in IFS, the Yearbook's Guide sections, namely its Finance-Related Professional Services Guide, the State & Regulatory bodies, and IFS companies A-Z Guide provide updated histories of the achievements of the people, institutions and organisations and companies that are the foundation stones of what Ireland is as a financial centre as a whole. The publication provides a snapshot and a vivid representation of it and its vitality for readers, in print, and in its online dimensions, in its e-paper editions.

Also in the issue:
- Government change sees new faces in IFS
- Six legal firms opt for LLP status in 2020 already in Yearbook PSG Guide
- The Finance Dublin Debt Clock has reversed direction
- Central Bank's securities markets chief Derville Rowland on Ireland's special nature as an international financial centre
- A Day in the Life - a Company Secretarial Service Provider
Ocorian's Amy McMullan provides an insight of how board business is continuing for company and financial services corporate structures in Covid-19 conditions
- Accountancy & Assurance Forum: - The Managing Partners of the Top 20 Accountancy & Assurance firms assess the state of the economy in 2020, and comment on the sector, and the outlook.
- Ireland and Luxembourg are hosting most of Europe's debt instruments
- The Irish Tax Monitor: It is important that significant tax changes which were introduced as part of Finance Act 2019 are brought back into focus.

The survey also reveals that, while the individual rankings of the 'Top Ten' firms in Ireland did not change last year, there were significant variations in the pace of growth reported amongst individual firms in the past year.
The Programme for Government (PfG): under the microscope is the new Coalition's 159 page PfG, which contains copious and thought out strategies for financial services, taxation, the financing of the economy, including housing, SMEs, agriculture and the green dimension, which envisages Ireland achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Also, in the July issue: Funds developments, aircraft leasing and C-19, Tax moves related to Covid-19, including in the disclosures area, the Central Bank's PRISM reviews, and new legislation at European level, e.g. in the whistleblowing area, and ESG, as well as Michel Barnier's combative response to the UK latest proposals for FS in Europe after Brexit.

The 2020 Deals of the Year Awards provide inspiration regarding the potential of the markets to assist the recovery, and placing Irish Law on an international pedestal, there is clear evidence from the Awards that global recognition is being given to Ireland as an international legal hub for a range of capital markets deals and restructurings for multinational businesses with no direct connection to the jurisdiction.

In a wide ranging interview with Finance Dublin, the Managing Partner of EY Financial Services, Eoin MacManus, provides a perspective on how the financial services industry is meeting the challenge of the Covid-19 crisis, and how it may emerge from it in the medium and longer term. He spoke with the editor, Ken O'Brien in mid May, in a web interview.

The establishment of Mancos, the development of new clusters and product lines, the structuring of funds in Irish vehicles, with Irish wrappers recording new record asset levels, such as CCFs at over €100 billion, and new agendas in areas such as ESG, and new legislative and regulatory initiatives, are among the key pillars of development examined in 'Investment Funds 2020' Special Report (right). For more articles on Investment Funds and Asset Management : click here

August 11th, 2020: State Street and Rethink Ireland have awarded €1.5 million from the Ability to Work Fund to four not-for-profit organisations who are helping develop the talents and skills of Ireland's forgotten workforce, giving employment opportunities to those living with a disability.

From the April issue: 'Now the challenge should turn to the question of how to safely unlock the lockdown, so that the economic life of the nation can resume as quickly and safely as possible. This now should be the economic policy priority. Meshing perfectly with this is the decision by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael to form a Government representing the decision of two of the Dail's parliamentary parties. In taking the initiative they have thrown the gauntlet down to other elected TDs, in other parliamentary parties and of none'.

See these articles on the next stages of the formation of a new Government from the March edition of Finance Dublin.

Finance Dublin's conference #FCSDublin 2019 in Dublin Castle on October 16th featured amongst its speakers Ken Clarke, MP, Father of the House of Commons, and former Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chairman of the United States Securities & Exchange Commission, the USA's most senior regulatory official for the stock markets and for other exchanges and markets. Agenda details.

FCSDublin, 2019 in Dublin Castle on October 16th featured amongst its keynote speakers the Chairman of the Securities & Exchange Commission of the United States.