It is not clear that there will be any immediate significant legal implications for Irish occupational pension schemes of the UK exiting the EU. However, the effect on the investment market and the continued uncertainty around Brexit is likely to have more immediate and significant consequences for Irish defined benefit schemes and their sponsoring employers.

Many Irish defined benefit schemes are struggling with funding proposals that have gone off or may go off track as a result of poor market conditions. In addition, funding difficulties (and their associated impact on IAS liabilities of sponsoring employers) may trigger fresh scheme reviews and renewed focus on liability (and volatility) management.

Trustees and sponsors will need to consider with their investment and actuarial advisers what can be done to mitigate the risk of continued poor market performance in light of ongoing uncertainty during the proposed transition period. As required by the Pension Authority’s financial management guidelines, an important step will be identifying the main risks schemes are exposed to and what contingency plans can be put in place to reduce any negative impact. A general review of the scheme investment strategy and investment options may also be warranted.Continue Reading Implications of Brexit for Irish Occupational Pension Schemes