This is slightly below the EU average, but the stock of savings of Irish households remains high. But households are losing out by leaving around 90 per cent of their savings in demand accounts which typically only pay interest of less than 0.2 per cent. The big banks will feel no need to offer higher returns, even if they could afford to do so. They have long got away with paying interest rates below the euro zone average on demand deposits. The only way to put pressure on banks to increase demand deposit rates is if enough people start moving their money.

Source: The Irish Times November 10, 2025 03:30 UTC