Paul Smith was educated in Trinity College Dublin (BBS 1973, BA Mod 2013). He qualified as an accountant in 1976, and was a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants where he served on the Institute’s Council. He became a member of the Institute of Taxation in 1978, and a Barrister at Kings Inns in 1979. He was awarded a PhD in History from Trinity College Dublin in 2019. In the past he served on the Boards of Glenans Irish Sailing Centre, Opera Ireland and Holocaust Educational Trust Ireland.