Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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131. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if there will be an accommodation in the auto enrolment my future fund to include pre-school staff that only work part of the year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62014/25]

Cathy Bennett (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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348. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the way in which those who fall outside the age and earning threshold of the My Future fund can opt in; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62297/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 131 and 348 together.

The Programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce the Automatic Enrolment (AE) Retirement Savings System. 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 income. The new system - to be known as My Future Fund - will commence from 1st January 2026.

Current and new employees aged between 23 and 60 years of age and earning €20,000 or above per annum (across all employments) who are not already in an approved supplementary pension scheme will be automatically enrolled into the new retirement savings system. Determinations of enrolment will be made in accordance with Section 50 of the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Act 2024 by the National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority (NAERSA) that has been established to operate the system. NAERSA will do this using a pay reference period of 13 weeks on a continuous rolling basis, so the earnings threshold for that period will be €5,000. Those who fall outside the age and earnings threshold so those aged between 18 and 23 or between 60 and 66, and/or earn below €20,000 per annum will have a legal right to join the new retirement savings system voluntarily by opting in.

If pre-school staff who only work part of the year meet the eligibility criteria during any pay reference period, then they will be auto enrolled. If they do not, they may opt in to My Future Fund.

It should be noted that opt ins will be facilitated through an online portal and will be processed by NAERSA. Employers do not have any role in processing opt ins. Moreover, it will be an offence for an employer to hinder an employee from participating in My Future Fund where that employee has a legal right to do so.

I hope this clarifies matters for the Deputies.