There are actually two related methods of doing this - a self-directed fund and a self-administered one. Although these terms are sometimes interchanged, my rough definitions of each would be: -
Self-Directed - You set up a policy with an insurance company who has self-directed capabilities, e.g. Irish Life, who look after all the documentation. You then instruct Irish Life to use your fund to buy assets of your choosing, e.g. property, shares, ETFs, funds, deposits etc. As charging is percentage-based, this route tends to be cheaper than self-administered for smaller funds (<€250,000) but it's a little bit more restrictive in that you must use the insurance company's professional team - solicitors, property managers, stockbrokers etc. For property purchase, Standard Life & Irish Life are the main players.
Self-Administered - You set up a bespoke trust for you and you alone, using the services of a pensioneer trustee. You can use whatever related professionals you want. Typically, self-administered funds tend to be charged on a flat fee basis, making them cheaper for larger funds. Think ball-park €2,000 - €2,500 to set one up and the bones of €2,000 per year to maintain and you wouldn't be a million miles out. Such fees would be separate from any transaction costs you then incur by your investment decision, e.g. solicitor, valuation etc.
Regards,
Liam D. Ferguson