Figures obtained by the Irish Independent from the EU statistical service Eurostat show that we lag behind eastern European countries like Bulgaria, Estonia and Romania, as well as more established European Union member states like France and Germany, when it comes to providing for pensioners.

The European figures measure the percentage of people over the age of 65 who are at risk of poverty.

Standing

The Irish figure stands at 27pc, while only four countries have a worse standing: the UK (28 pc); Latvia (30 pc); Spain (31 pc) and Cyprus (52 pc).

The Netherlands and the Czech Republic top the statistics with only 6pc of people over the age of 65 vulnerable of falling into poverty.

The Eurostat figures also show that the number of at-risk pensioners in Ireland has varied wildly from 1995 to 2006, the latest year for which figures are available. In 1995, 19pc of Irish pensioners were at risk. That figure jumped as high as 44pc in 2001 before decreasing to its current 27pc.

"It shouldn't come as any surprise," Age Action Ireland's Eamon Timmins said. "The only way we can tackle this is to increase the state pension.

"If you're depending on the state pension, then you're looking at a very meagre standard of life."

Mr Timmins also said that state pensions should be index-linked to the average industrial wage. He said that the state pension at present, which is €212 for non-contributory and €223 for contributory, is about a third of the average industrial wage.

"That compares with 57pc of the average industrial wage for countries like Austria," he said. "The Government say that the pension will be up to €300 by 2012, but we don't know how much €300 will be worth by then."

Roisin Shortall, Labour's spokesperson on Social and Family Affairs, said the rising cost of living also means that more elderly citizens could become poverty-stricken. "The pension is very low when you take into consideration food and energy costs," she said.

A green paper on pensions is currently at a consultative phase with Seamus Brennan, the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, talking to concerned parties.

A spokesperson for Minister Brennan's department said "the poverty risk for various groups of people can differ depending on the nature of the measure used".