Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 June 2004
97 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of persons currently in receipt of a State pension; her Department’s assessment of the numbers of persons likely to be in receipt of State pensions over the next decade and the provisions which are being made in that regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17709/04]
View answerAt the end of May 2004, there were 202,710 people receiving an old age contributory or retirement pension and 85,877 receiving an old age non-contributory pension. An actuarial review of the social insurance fund, undertaken on behalf of my Department in 2002, projected that the number of recipients of old age contributory and retirement pensions will increase to 255,000 by 2011 and 321,000 by 2016. The increase will, to some extent, be balanced by a reduction in the number of people receiving an old age non-contributory pension. The numbers receiving this pension have declined by more than 20% in the last ten years, which reflects improved social insurance coverage and increased labour force participation, particularly among women.
In common with other European countries, the population of Ireland is ageing as a result of a combination of increasing life expectancy and a declining birth rate. The decline in the birth rate is relatively recent and this, coupled with the effects of high emigration for much of the period up to the 1990s, has resulted in Ireland having the lowest proportion of older people in the EU with 11.2% aged 65 and over, compared to the current EU average of 16.1%.
The proportion of older people in Ireland will remain at broadly the same level for the next ten years after which it is projected to increase rapidly to 15% in 2021, 19% in 2031 and 28% in 2056. A similar situation exists in regard to the number of pensioners relative to the number at work. Ageing, therefore, presents the same challenge to Ireland in meeting growing pension costs as to other countries except that we have a longer period to prepare for its full impact. The population projections suggest no special measures are required in the timescale envisaged by the Deputy. However, the Government is making preparations, through the national pensions reserve fund, to part fund State pensions costs from 2025 onwards.
Pensions have been an important issue at EU level in recent years. This is not surprising given that the challenges facing pensions systems are more immediate for other member states. The EU has assessed national pensions systems under the agreed objectives of adequacy, financial sustainability and modernisation. In this regard, a joint EU Commission and Council report, published in 2003, considered that Ireland has made good progress in ensuring both the financial sustainability and adequacy of our pensions system. The report concluded our system appears to be, in broad terms, financially sustainable despite projected major increases in future pensions expenditure. The situation will be kept under review.
