Intergenerational Fairness in Ireland

As the first EU Council presidency to begin after the adoption of the EU Strategy on Intergenerational Fairness in March 2026, Ireland has a unique opportunity to drive its implementation and strengthen long-term governance across Member States.

To assess Ireland’s progress in institutionalising and implementing intergenerational fairness, this policy brief makes use of ZOE Institute’s Intergenerational Governance Matrix. Applying the matrix to the Irish context shows how Ireland’s existing governance structures and innovations can already provide a strong foundation for an intergenerational fairness approach. Drawing on these findings, the authors also propose recommendations for strengthening long-term policymaking nationally and through the Presidency of the Council of the EU.

All in all, this brief argues that the intergenerational fairness approach provides a practical governance framework and alternative policy choices for managing long-term risks, improving policy coherence, and ensuring that today’s investments strengthen long-term resilience.

The policy brief is part of a series for national governments which will also include Lithuania, Germany, Denmark, and Greece.