Irish accountancy executives are assessing shifting economic sentiment as new Deloitte research shows more than 70% of Chief Financial Officers in Ireland expect their companies’ revenues to increase over the next year.

The findings form part of a global survey of 1,280 CFOs across 14 countries, including 60 respondents from Ireland, and outline key pressures affecting financial planning and risk management.

The study reports a gradual rise in optimism, with 30% of CFOs saying they are more confident about their organisation’s financial prospects compared with three months earlier. This compares with 28% in spring 2025 and 19% in autumn 2024, indicating a slow but steady improvement in outlook. However, the research also shows that confidence is accompanied by notable caution.

Just over 30% of respondents expect capital expenditure to increase in the next 12 months, down from 37% in spring and 42% in autumn 2024. Meanwhile, 18% anticipate a decline in capital spending, and close to half expect no change, suggesting that many organisations remain focused on protecting liquidity and maintaining margins.

The availability of skilled talent continues to rank as the most significant risk for companies surveyed, reinforcing ongoing workforce and capability challenges across the accountancy and broader professional services market.

Tom Hynes, Deloitte Ireland Partner in Technology & Transformation, said: “CFOs in Ireland are signalling a phase of guarded growth. Our survey shows they are managing continued uncertainty by protecting margins while positioning their organisations for sustainable success. Over the next year, we expect CFOs to continue balancing cost discipline with strategic investment in talent and accelerating AI adoption and automation, helping to increase their competitive advantage.”

Explore the full story to understand the shifting priorities shaping Ireland’s accountancy sector.