Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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435. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection for Social Protection if he will consider increasing the electricity allowance under the household benefits package, which has not increased in well over ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27592/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Household Benefits Package comprises the electricity or gas allowance, and the free television licence. My Department will spend approximately €308 million this year on the Household Benefits Package.

People over the age of 70 receive the Household Benefits Package, with one package provided per household. The package is also available to people living in the State aged 66-69 years who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments or who satisfy a means test. The package is available to some people under the age of 66 who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments.

While consideration is always given to suggested improvements to the Department's schemes, any decision to enhance the Household Benefits Package by increasing the electricity/gas allowance would have to be considered in the context of overall budget negotiations.

Budget 2025 provided for a €12 weekly increase to all of the main social welfare payments; an October cost of living bonus; a Christmas bonus in December; and a €200 once-off payment for pensioners and people with a disability receiving the Living Alone Increase.

In addition, my Department provides Additional Needs Payments as part of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme to help meet essential expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income or other personal and household resources. These payments are available through our Community Welfare Officers and can include payments towards electricity and essential heating costs.

I trust that this clarifies these matters for the Deputy.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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436. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the charges that will be levied against members of the auto-enrolment scheme, split between different categories (details supplied); if there will be any other charges either on members or on their employers; if charge levels have yet to be decided, to indicate when prospective members will be informed of charge levels under the various headings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27607/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce the Automatic Enrolment (AE) Retirement Savings System. The legislative basis for implementing the new system was enacted last July. The aim of introducing AE is to address the pension coverage gap that exists in Ireland and to provide workers with greater comfort and security regarding their retirement savings. I recently announced the system will commence from 1st January 2026.

The new system will be called 'My Future Fund'. It will automatically enroll all employees, aged between 23 and 60 years of age, who are earning €20,000 or more per year (across all employments), and who are not actively contributing to a supplementary pension scheme through their employer's payroll. Those who fall outside the age and earnings threshold – in other words, those aged between 18 and 22 or between 60 and 66, or who earn below €20,000 - will be able to join My Future Fund by voluntarily opting in if they wish to do so.

The fees associated with automatic enrollment are under active consideration and are likely to constitute a flat fee for administration purposes and a percentage of assets under management for investment services. Through negotiation with service providers, the Department will ensure these are highly competitive. It is envisaged that there will not be any other charges either on members or on their employers.

The full details will be disclosed closer to the launch date.

I hope this clarifies matters for the Deputy.

Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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437. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he has engaged with the Minister for Finance and the Revenue Commissioners on the regulatory impact of trustee liquidations on small pension approved retirement fund holders; if he will support the establishment of a fallback mechanism for affected pensioners to avoid hardship or disruption to income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27665/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Approved Retirement Funds (‘ARFs’) are post-retirement investment vehicles which are not regulated as a pension product under the Pensions Act 1990. As such, my Department has no role in relation to such arrangements.

ARFs are funds managed by a qualifying fund manager into which an individual may invest the proceeds of their pension fund when they retire. ARFs are approved by the Revenue Commissioners under the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997. Legislation and policy matters relating to ARFs come under the policy remit of the Department of Finance.

I hope this clarifies matters for the Deputy.