National Pension Reserve Fund returns 20.9%

THE National Pension Reserve Fund returned 20.9% in 2009 to €22.3bn, boosted by the strong rise in global shares.

Since it was set up in 2001 the fund has generated an annual return of 2.6% against the 0.5% average of managed funds.

Initially put in place to meet public sector and other pension demands beyond 2025, the fund was raided by the Government last year for the €7 billion it injected in bailout funding in Bank of Ireland and AIB which were close to collapse thanks to the global credit crunch and the collapse of the Irish property market.