Shay Brennan (Dublin Rathdown, Fianna Fail)
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82. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection for an update on the guidance and information he is providing to employers in relation to My Future Fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62073/25]

Tony McCormack (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Will the Minister provide an update on the guidance and information he is providing to employers in relation to My Future Fund. Will he make a statement on the matter?

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy McCormack, and Deputy Brennan for tabling this question. The implementation of My Future Fund from 1 January 2026 will fulfil a key programme for Government commitment to ensure that more than 750,000 workers are brought into a retirement savings scheme for the first time, giving those workers more security in their retirement. There has been extensive engagement with employers and representative organisations from the very outset, including during the early design phase of My Future Fund. The phasing of the roll-out, the incremental approach to levying contributions was, for example, specifically designed in response to employer feedback.

Over the past 18 months we have hosted thousands of employers and related professions through many webinars, conferences and in-person stakeholder meetings, with more planned over the coming weeks. We have also implemented an extensive advertising campaign aimed specifically at employers to show them how easy it will be to implement auto-enrolment. In fact, it is as easy as enabling a health insurance or credit union deduction.

Separately, over the past year, my team in the Department has worked incredibly hard and held weekly project meetings with payroll providers who provide payroll services to many employers. We have worked closely with them to ensure that deductions can be implemented in a streamlined manner. We have also made a wealth of information available through our AE hub at gov.ie/auto-enrolment and brought this to the attention of all the representative organisations. This material includes a large range of YouTube videos to explain the system and how it will work. More than 300,000 companies are registered with the Companies Registration Office. They were issued a My Future Fund mailshot in April this year. The Department will be writing to all companies and tax agents that are registered on the Revenue ROS system in early December. That mailshot will be supported by the NAERSA contact centre.

It is important to note that, unlike other pension schemes, employers will have very little to do to facilitate auto-enrolment being implemented because the new State agency, the National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority, NAERSA, has been established to oversee and operate the system which will include taking care of all the administrative processes around auto-enrolment, contribution collection, investment and providing access to accounts and information.

Tony McCormack (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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This is a significant reform. I acknowledge the work that the Minister and his Department have undertaken in developing My Future Fund. It represents a real step forward in helping workers to plan and save for their retirement. However, as with any major change, the real test will be how it is rolled out. We have had well-intentioned schemes in the past that began strongly but then faded from view, leaving uncertainty around what was required and how to comply. I know the Minister is conscious of that. Clear, consistent communication will be key. Employers need straightforward forward guidance, plain-language information and ongoing support as the system beds in. If My Future Fund remains simple, practical and easy to follow from the start, it will stand the test of time and deliver real value for both employees and those administering it on the ground.

Paula Butterly (Louth, Fine Gael)
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I would like to ask the Minister about community groups, essential youth services that provide vital services in the community, particularly those in County Louth. Has provision been made to combat the cost of auto-enrolment and the increase in the minimum wage? Have they been factored into their budgets and will there be additional budgets for them in 2026?

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputies McCormack and Butterly for their questions. It is our intention to keep it simple. That is coming from the feedback that was under way for seven years now. We have started a strawman consultation. Employers have asked us to keep it simple and to keep the administration costs as minimal as possible. Most importantly for the approximately 750,000 people, they will have access to their money because for each person in My Future Fund, it is their money and not the State's money. They will see the top up from their employer and the State contribution and have access to that. I have no doubt there will be teething problems. There is going to be but we are trying to minimise those and get information to people inasmuch as we can.

On Deputy Butterly's question, we have advised other Departments that auto-enrolment is starting. They were advised early this year to ensure that groups and funding was properly in place. Within our Department, we have provided extra money for groups such as the rural social scheme, RSS, Tús and CE to ensure that auto-enrolment is covered. However, that is an ongoing communication in place with all the Departments and that we discussed earlier.

Tony McCormack (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I appreciate the Minister's commitment to ensuring that My Future Fund is implemented effectively. The focus now must be on consistency, keeping the guidance visible, practical and accessible beyond the initial rollout. Regular updates through payroll providers and local enterprise offices and clear online resources will make a real difference in keeping the process smooth and understandable. With that continued engagement, I have every confidence that under the Minister's leadership, this reform can strike the right balance, strengthening long-term retirement savings for workers while ensuring the administrative side remains straightforward and workable for employees throughout the country.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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We have already provided debate opportunities in the House. We have provided guidance in the audiovisual room. We are providing more technical guidance for Deputies and Senators in relation to auto-enrolment so that they can provide information in their constituencies. I would direct every Deputy to gov.ie/auto-enrolment where there are videos and supports in place for all organisations to give people an idea of what is coming and the kind of work that will be involved. It is my intention that work will be minimised for employers, in particular.