'Little change' in pensions policy expected following Irish election

Industry experts have suggested that there will be "little change" in pension policy following the Irish election, with the new government expected to be a coalition dominated by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.

Fianna Fáil won the most seats in the Dáil, with 48 out of the 174 seats, while the main opposition party, Sinn Féin, won 39, and Fine Gael, which has been in coalition with Fianna Fáil since 2020, won 38 seats.

A total of 88 seats is needed to secure a majority in the Dáil, however.

In light of this, it is expected that a Fianna Fail/Fine Gael-led coalition will make a return, although a deal between the two parties has yet to be reached.

Indeed, Irish Assocation of Pension Funds (IAPF) CEO, Jerry Moriarty, said that the most likely new government is a coalition dominated by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.

"As this will largely be a continuation of the last government, it will most likely mean little change in pension policy," he stated.

Whilst Moriarty acknowledged that there was very little discussion of pensions during the election, he said that it could be good to see work on auto-enrolment pick up pace, having previously suggested that a further delay until early 2026 would not be surprising given the work still to do.

"It would be good to see greater urgency in getting auto-enrolment finally started and there needs to be a strong communications campaign from government to prepare employees and employers," he said.



Share Story:

Recent Stories


Podcast: Stepping up to the challenge
In the latest European Pensions podcast, Natalie Tuck talks to PensionsEurope chair, Jerry Moriarty, about his new role and the European pension policy agenda

Podcast: The benefits of private equity in pension fund portfolios
The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, in which stock markets have seen increased volatility, combined with global low interest rates has led to alternative asset classes rising in popularity. Private equity is one of the top runners in this category, and for good reason.

In this podcast, Munich Private Equity Partners Managing Director, Christopher Bär, chats to European Pensions Editor, Natalie Tuck, about the benefits private equity investments can bring to pension fund portfolios and the best approach to take.

Mitigating risk
BNP Paribas Asset Management’s head of pension solutions, Julien Halfon, discusses equity hedging with Laura Blows

Advertisement