The trustees of two occupational pension schemes have been successfully prosecuted by the Pensions Board for failure to provide timely information on their schemes to the board.

The pension scheme trustees of Donabate Golf Club and Marchmont Packaging were each fined €200 yesterday and ordered to pay €2,400 to cover the Pensions Board's costs in bringing the prosecutions.

The trustees failed to comply with Section 54 of the Pensions Act, which requires pension schemes to give the board copies of documents such as annual reports and explanatory booklets within specified time limits.

Ms Anne Maher, chief executive of the Pensions Board, said the disclosure of information in a timely manner allowed members, trade unions and others to monitor their benefits and the health of their pensions.

Meanwhile, the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Ms Coughlan, said last night that employers had an important part to play in increasing the numbers of workers with pensions.

Speaking at the annual dinner of the Irish Association of Pensions Funds (IAPF), Ms Coughlan said the take-up of the new Personal Retirement Savings Accounts (PRSAs) had so far been encouraging but the low number of accounts opened through arrangements set up by employers had been disappointing.

The Social Welfare Bill will give Department inspectors new powers to determine whether employers are enabling employees to access a PRSA, the Minister announced.

IAPF chairman Mr Gerry Ryan said most defined-contribution scheme members needed to double their pension contributions in order to receive an adequate retirement income.

The recent recovery in equity markets should not lull people into a false sense of security, he warned.