Action Needed On Pension Sustainability

29 Oct 2014

A study of 25 state pension systems by the Australian Centre for Financial Studies and Mercer finds that Ireland’s State pension is among the best in the world in terms of adequacy. However, Ireland’s overall score is reduced by doubts over its sustainability, where it is ranked 20th of 25 countries (above Italy, Austria, Brazil, Japan and China)

Overall, Ireland is ranked 11th of the countries surveyed in the Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index (MMGPI) with a “score” of 62.2.

This compares to the 82.4 awarded to Denmark, which is seen as having a well-funded system, giving good coverage, a high level of assets and contributions, adequate benefits and a parallel private pension system with developed regulation.

Australia and the Netherlands are seen as having the next best state pension provision. Ireland is on a par with Denmark on adequacy – second best overall behind Australia – but dramatically poorer for sustainability, a measure that assesses the likelihood that the system will be able to provide promised benefits into the future. It ranks 15th in terms of system integrity.

The overall index value for the Irish system could be increased by:

Raising the state pension age
Increasing coverage of employees in occupational pension schemes thereby increasing the level of contributions and assets
Introducing a minimum level of mandatory contributions into a retirement savings fund and introducing limits on the level of in-house assets held by private pension plans
Providing greater protection of members’ accrued benefits in the case of employer insolvency
Reducing government debt as a percentage of GDP

Download the full report here.

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Tagged with: Pensions

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Donal DeBuitleir

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