Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

More than 95% of the non-commercial semi-State pensions are now operating on a pay-as-you-go basis, which is very significant. It is appropriate to say that we had separate pension schemes and funds, as well as separate actuarial staff and fund managers looking after this. The Government decided that the best way to address those costs and centrally manage them was under the National Pensions Reserve Fund. That is the most appropriate way to deal with pension liabilities, although these will fluctuate depending on the needs of the fund.

I do not have the figure for the State liability of commercial non-State staff but I am sure we could get it through the Department of Finance.

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