Ms Joanne Roche:

The main pressures on the fund are age-related as opposed to unemployment and the number of jobseekers at present. Those age-related pressures are a function of the aging of the population and hence the pension pressures. We do not make any recommendations on dealing with the increasing deficit other than pointing out three options: increasing PRSI; increasing subventions from the Exchequer from general taxation; and reducing the benefits or indexation associated with those benefits. However, we do not go so far as to make any recommendations.

The sensitivity of the fund to unemployment is set out in table 8.9 of the report. As members will see from the table, it is not overly sensitive to unemployment in the long term. I hope that is sufficient to answer the Deputy's question.