Deficits in the biggest defined benefit pension schemes in Ireland rose by €4 billion in the 12 months to September.
This is according to research by consultants Lane Clark & Peacock, which said Irish Bank Resolution Corporation's scheme is fully funded.
The findings of the research also suggest that many defined benefit pension schemes will be forced to close because of a combination of the challenging economic climate, and changes to domestic legislation and international accounting rules.
LCP said that only one company, Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (formerly Anglo Irish Bank), reported that its pension scheme was fully funded, compared to three last year.
It said IBRC is the only company to have consistently reported a fully funded defined benefit pension scheme since LCP began reporting its research in 2009. IBRC, it said, has the lowest equity allocation of all the companies analysed - 23% in 2011 down from 34% in 2010 and well below the 2011 average of 52%.
LCP said the pension deficit reported by AIB almost doubled from €400m reported in 2010 to €763m in 2011.
The combined net accounting deficit of pension schemes analysed increased to €10 billion by the end of September 2012.
The findings show that pension schemes are beginning to withdraw from the equity markets. The 2011 survey shows an average equity asset allocation across the companies analysed of 52%. While this is down from 58% in 2010, LCP said this is still excessive when compared to international practices.
Defined benefit pension schemes operated by FTSE100 companies held just 35% of their assets in equities at the end of 2011.
Aon Hewitt's managed fund index down 0.4% in October
Consultants Aon Hewitt said its managed fund index fell 0.4% last month. But the Aon Hewitt fund, an index of traditional managed pension funds, has seen a positive return of 12% since the start of 2012.
The company noted that global equity markets fell over the month by 1.4% as many companies' quarterly results disappointed.
It said that economic indicators were generally poor, while the IMF report cutting GDP growth expectations in the euro zone area for the next two years also weighed on markets.
"Mario Draghi's new bond purchasing programme has supported peripheral bond yields in recent months," commented Denis Lyons, Senior Investment Consultant at Aon Hewitt Lyons.
"However defined benefit pensions schemes liabilities continue to remain high as these are valued off highly rated core euro zone bond yields which continue to stand at record low levels," he added.
