Defining security

Ireland's pension system is in relatively good shape, but concerns about the solvency of defined-benefit schemes have prompted the Irish Pensions Board to reassess its supervision of funds. By Alexander Campbell

Pension issues have dominated the business pages of UK newspapers over the past year, with the country's largest companies reporting hundreds of millions of pounds in pension deficits on their balance sheets. But not every Western country is in the same situation. Boosted by net immigration for the first time in its history, Ireland's funds are well placed to cope with an ageing population and rising pension costs, according to the Irish Pensions Board.

This does not mean that Ireland is immune