Overview:
ACCA Ireland invites you to attend our Credit Union Conference 2026 which will take place as a virtual webinar on Tuesday, 29th Sept 2026.
Chaired by Grainne Murphy, CEO, Gateway Credit Union, this event will cover key accounting issues for Credit Unions.
Dr. Mike Farrell, University College Cork joins us for Session 1 of the conference, where he will provide an
overview of the recent changes to FRS 102, with a particular focus on the new
lease accounting requirements for credit unions, before considering key
accounting issues arising from the Central Bank’s year-end circular.
Donal Coghlan, Director, Fairway Advisors Ltd. will then provide a refresher on the accounting treatment of investments, with particular reference to non-simple fair value accounting and the treatment of realised and unrealised reserves. He will also explore practical issues arising from fair value calculations for non-simple investments, including examples where these calculations have resulted in qualified audit reports for credit unions.
Our final session is a unique opportunity to experience a Simulated Cyberattack, where Christie John, Director, Solution Out Ltd. will lead attendees step by step through what an organisation should do in the case of a cyberattack. This interactive session will include audience engagement and a panel discussion. Attendees will leave with a roadmap to develop a formal policy to manage a cyberattack.
Key Topics:
Credit Union Accounting issues for the 2026 year end
- Changes to FRS 102
- Accounting for leases in credit unions
- Issues arising from the year end circular from the Central Bank
Investment Accounting & Valuations
- Refresher on the accounting for investments with specific reference to non-simple fair value accounting, realised and unrealised reserves
- Qualified audit reports issued to credit unions based on fair value calculations
- Issues with fair value calculations for non-simple investments
Simulated Cyberattack Interactive Tabletop Exercise
- An interactive walk-through of a simulated cyberattack
- Including online polling and a panel discussion on Board and executive responses to the issues as they arise in the simulation.
- Output from the session will be a roadmap for delegates to develop a formal policy in advance of a cyberattack.
Speakers:
Dr. Mike Farrell
KPMG Lecturer in Accounting, University College Cork
Dr Mike Farrell is KPMG Lecturer in Accounting at University College Cork and a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland. His teaching and research have a strong financial reporting focus, and his current research includes projects examining accounting and financial reporting issues in Irish credit unions.
Donal Coghlan
Director, Fairway Advisors Limited
Donal Coghlan is a qualified Accountant, QFA and Accredited Funds Professional. He has over 25 years’ senior-level experience across credit unions, regulatory bodies and investment firms and is the Founder and Managing Director of Fairway Advisers, which specialises in providing investment advice and services to credit unions.
Christie John
Director, Solution Out Limited
Christie John is one of the directors at Solution Out Limited, an organization that collaborates with over 60+ Credit Unions to enhance Operational Resilience, provide Independent IT and Strategy Consulting, and implement SharePoint Automation and the CUE Ecosystem of applications tailored for the Credit Union sector. With over 22 years' experience in Ideation, Strategy, and Execution across various industry segments, Christie excels in managing regulation-heavy Business/IT processes and leading high-performance teams, especially in merger and acquisition environments. Christie is also a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and a certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) with experience in cybersecurity.