Written Answers Nos. 149-164
149. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection the specific measures that are currently in place to support and incentivise employers to recruit and retain persons with disabilities; whether any new initiatives are being considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44601/26]
View answerImproving the employment position of disabled people, is a key priority for the Government and we are determined to do that. To achieve this, we must support employers to hire and retain disabled employees. This is why we have been improving our existing supports for employers and why we have a range of commitments to do more over the lifetime of the Government.
In July 2024, my Department launched a new scheme called Work and Access. This scheme offers seven supports to improve access in the workplace for disabled people. Funding is available for communication supports, work equipment, workplace adaptations and training. Jobseekers, employees, self-employed people and employers may apply for supports both for the business premises and remote workplaces.
Revised operational guidelines and application forms were published in April this year following feedback from disabled people and employers. We hope that applicants will find the scheme easier to navigate and understand. Eligibility for 90% funding for Disability Equality and Inclusion Training has been extended which will help employers provide disability equality and inclusion training for their staff. Applications for Workplace Needs Assessments and In-Work Support will be made by employers from now on to reduce the administrative burden on disabled customers.
The Wage Subsidy Scheme supports employers to hire disabled people through a subsidy. As a result of Budget 2026, the base rate of the Wage Subsidy Scheme was increased by €1.20 from €6.30 to €7.50 per hour. The top rate is now €10 per hour and a middle rate of €8.50 was introduced. The scheme was also extended to certain people already at work who acquire a disability or whose ability to work has reduced such that there job tasks or role has had to be significantly adapted. This is helpful in terms of the retention of disabled people in employment.
Employers in all bands have seen an increase in the subsidy they receive under the scheme. 90% of employers employ one or two employees on the scheme and have therefore received the €1.20 increase. €1,568 employers employed 2,621 employees on the scheme in May of this year. An estimated €22.1 million was spent on this scheme in 2025.
JobsPlus is an employer incentive which encourages and rewards employers who employ eligible jobseekers. Employers who employ people in receipt of Disability Allowance or Blind Pension can avail of either of two grants under this scheme; the value of the grants are €7,500 and €10,000.
Under the Work Placement Experience Programme, an employer can host a participant on a six-month placement at no cost. Participants are paid a weekly allowance by my Department and they engage in 60 hours of relevant training to support participation on work placement. The Work Placement Experience Programme is available to those in receipt of Disability Allowance or Blind Pension.
Employers can sign up to the Employer and Youth Engagement Charter. There are currently 326 employers signed up. These employers will proactively engage in offering employment supports to groups at risk of unemployment, including disabled people. This gives employers the chance to become part of a community of responsible and inclusive employers as well as expand and develop scope for recruitment by accessing a wide range and diverse pool of candidates.
The Department of Social Protection funds the Widening Inclusion of Disability in Employment (WIDE) Framework which supports organisations on the island of Ireland to hire, retain, and promote more disabled people and create a more inclusive workplace.
Along with my colleague the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, I am leading the employment pillar under the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030. The strategy includes a range of commitments to support employers to hire and retain disabled people. Our two Departments are working together, including in relation to the development of an ongoing media campaign to raise awareness of the supports available for employers.
The Forum for the Employment of Disabled People, established by the Department for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment earlier this year as part of commitment 5.5, will be an important vehicle for encouraging the hiring of disabled people. Employers can also find relevant support on the National Enterprise Hub website.
I am pleased that we have already made progress and we will continue to deliver on the commitments over the lifetime of the Strategy.
I trust this clarifies the matter for Deputy.
150. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for the carer’s support grant and carer’s allowance currently awaiting decision; the average processing time for each scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44223/26]
View answerCarer's Allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.
There are currently 2,780 CA applications awaiting decision. The average time it is currently taking to award a CA claim is 6 weeks.
The Carer’s Support Grant (CSG) is a non-means-tested annual payment for carers who provide full-time care and attention.
There are currently 1,437 standalone CSG claims pending decision. The current average time to award a CSG claim is 4 weeks.
The CSG is not limited to payment on Thursday the 4th of June. Applications for the standalone 2026 CSG can be made up to 31 December 2027. Payments commence from 4th June and may be made on any Thursday thereafter as applications are received and processed.
My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that all applications are processed as quickly as possible.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
151. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline work undertaken by his Department in regard to examining the age at which domiciliary care allowance ends; whether his Department would consider increasing the age from 16 to 18; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44231/26]
View answerDomiciliary Care Allowance is a non means tested payment to a parent or guardian in respect of a child under 16 who has a severe disability and requires continual or continuous care and attention, substantially more than what is typically required by a child of the same age. Eligibility is not based on the disability or diagnosis, but on the impact of the disability in terms of the level of care and attention required by the child.
More than 64,460 families are currently receiving Domiciliary Care Allowance in respect of approximately 73,580 children. The estimated expenditure on the scheme in 2026 is almost €359 million.
Domiciliary Care Allowance stops being paid when a child turns 16 years of age. If the young person continues to suffer from a disability that significantly impacts their daily living activities, they can then apply for a Disability Allowance payment in their own name of €254 per week. To avoid any gap in support, families can apply for Disability Allowance up to 3 months before the child’s 16th birthday.
Where the child's carer is also receiving Carer's Allowance or Carer's Benefit in addition to the Domiciliary Care Allowance payment, that payment will continue for as long as the qualifying conditions are met, even after Domiciliary Care Allowance stops. In addition, as long as the carer is continuing to provide full-time care and attention, they will continue to be eligible for the annual Carer's Support Grant. This year’s grant was paid last Thursday, on 4th June, and now stands at €2,000.
Any future reform of Domiciliary Care Allowance will be considered in the context of commitments set out in the Programme for Government and the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030.
152. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection the legal and administrative basis for the requirement that recipients of carer’s allowance notify his Department of short absences from the State; if his Department has assessed the necessity and effectiveness of this requirement in the administration of the scheme; whether any review of the requirement is planned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44251/26]
View answer153. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection if the requirement for recipients of carer’s allowance to notify his Department of short absences from the State applies to travel within the island of Ireland, including cross-Border journeys; whether the requirement has been applied in such circumstances; whether any review of the requirement is under consideration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44252/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 152 and 153 together.
Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that, as a result, they require that level of care. Full-time care and attention is set out in legislation as at least 35 hours per week over 5-7 days.
Social Welfare legislation puts an onus on the carer to notify my Department of any changes in their circumstances. This includes when the carer or the person being cared for leaves the State.
Payment of CA may be made in certain circumstances for periods during which a carer is temporarily outside of the State. CA may be paid for up to 3 weeks in a calendar year if the recipient is abroad on a respite or holiday break.
CA may also be paid where the carer accompanies the cared-for person abroad for approved medical treatment for a disability that commenced before they left the State. A maximum of 13 weeks can be paid in such circumstances.
These two exceptions are provided for in Article 217 (h)(i) and (ii) of Chapter 4 of Part 3 of the Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) Regulations 2007 (as amended).
Permission must be sought before the carer or cared for person leaves the State. The recipient must notify the Department before their departure. Failure to do so will result in the loss of entitlement.
In addition to assuring payment integrity, this process also helps to ensure that a recipient does not unintentionally accrue an overpayment.
Travel within the Common Travel Area, including to Northern Ireland, is not regarded as travel abroad and there is no requirement for CA recipients to notify the Department solely in respect of such travel to the north.
I hope this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
154. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection whether her Department has conducted any analysis of the potential implications of artificial intelligence-related job displacement for income supports, activation programmes and labour market participation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44279/26]
View answerThe Irish labour market continues to see high employment and participation rates. According to the most recent data from the Central Statistics Office, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.9 percent in May 2026, and the youth unemployment rate stood at 9.9 percent.
The Department of Finance published an Economic Insights analysis on the labour market effects of AI. Preliminary data suggested AI may have influenced employment patterns in Ireland, as employment growth in ‘at risk’ sectors was weaker than that in less exposed sectors over the past two years.
Last May, the Department of Finance also published “Artificial Intelligence: Friend or Foe?” which found younger workers were at higher risk of displacement than older workers. Finance, ICT, and Professional Service sectors were found to be at increased risk.
However, Department of Finance analysis states that it may be premature to attribute these employment adjustments solely to increased AI adoption in Ireland, as it is difficult to separate out its impact from broader economic and geopolitical factors. In this respect the current international economic uncertainty is likely to be playing a role in employer's recruitment decisions including with respect to graduate recruitment. In its most recent quarterly bulletin, the Central Bank forecast unemployment to remain stable this year.
My Department will continue to monitor the labour market and seek to identify any emerging trends or changes in the labour market's composition.
155. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection to examine and assist with a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44283/26]
View answerFollowing your representation on 08 June 2026, a Statement of Social Welfare Payments from 04 June 2025 to 02 June 2026 has issued to the person concerned on 08 June 2026.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
156. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of recipients of the working family payment in each of the past five years; the average payment awarded; and whether his Department has assessed barriers to uptake among eligible households. [44352/26]
View answerThe Working Family Payment is a tax-free in-work support for low paid employees, with child dependents. As of April, there are some 55,000 families, with 110,000 children, in receipt of the payment.
To qualify for the Working Family Payment, the average total weekly household/family income must be below the relevant income threshold as related to the family size (the number of children in a household). There are eight (family size) income threshold bands and the person applying must also be working, as an employee, for at least 38 hours per fortnight.
The number of recipients on the scheme, at the end of each of the past five years, is set out in the table below. Working Family Payment is paid for 52 weeks. It is important to note that an individual’s 52-week duration on the scheme is unique i.e., the 52 weeks starts when they join the scheme (at any point during the year) and is not linked to a calendar year. Hence, these figures represent a snapshot in time and do not reflect the full number of recipients who may have moved on and off the scheme throughout the year, which may be higher.
|
- |
No. of Recipients |
|
2021 |
45,365 |
|
2022 |
47,115 |
|
2023 |
46,105 |
|
2024 |
46,944 |
|
2025 |
51,590 |
To estimate the average payment for each of the five years would require establishing numbers on the scheme for each of the years, allowing for inflows, outflows and individualised start times, for the 52 week duration, across the eight threshold bands. Therefore it is not possible to estimate the average payment in the time available. However, for information, set out below is expenditure on the scheme for the past five years.
|
- |
Expenditure €’000 |
|
2021 |
€338,407 |
|
2022 |
€361,090 |
|
2023 |
€392,061 |
|
2024 |
€420,881 |
|
2025 |
€467,941* |
*2025 Figures are provisional
The Department actively promotes the Working Family Payment through its digital channels and through its Intreo Employment Service and Intreo partners (e.g. the Local Area Employment Service). It also promotes the scheme directly through engagement with stakeholders.
It is worth noting, over the period above, measures introduced in successive budgets have resulted in the income thresholds, for all family sizes, increasing by €224 per week. The introduction of these budget measures receives widespread coverage each year, resulting in significant promotion of the scheme.
In addition to a €60 increase to the income thresholds for all family sizes, Budget 2026 included, for the first time, a measure to automatically award the Fuel Allowance to families in receipt of the Working Family Payment. Since December 2025 there has been over a 6% increase in the numbers availing of the scheme.
Feedback from some stakeholders, in terms of possible difficulties accessing the scheme, generally relates to the in-employment nature of the scheme and the hours worked requirement.
The Department is currently undertaking a public consultation on possible reforms with the aim of further reducing barriers to persons entering and sustaining employment, while availing of payments, including the working family payment. The outcome of this consultation will feed into future policy and scheme design / reforms.
157. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection to confirm if NAERSA will accept a voluntary opt-in to autoenrollment backdated to 1 January 2026 for a person (details supplied) when said employee had signalled a willingness to opt-in in advance of 1 January 2026 but it was a number of months into 2026 before their employer signed them up to MyFutureFund. [44384/26]
View answerThe Programme for Government contained a commitment to introduce the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System (AE). 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 - known as MyFutureFund - commenced on the 1st January 2026.
A person may opt in to MyFutureFund in one of two ways. They can either submit an opt-in request electronically via the MyFutureFund participant portal or download the opt-in request form from MyFutureFund.ie, complete it and send it by post to the address specified. It is important to clarify in relation to this that when an employee opts in, it is the National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority that processes the opting in and an individual's employer has no role in the process.
Where a person submits an opt-in request to NAERSA it will be processed without delay once their eligibility is determined, however, it is not possible to backdate the opt-in request to take effect from a date prior to when NAERSA makes its determination that an individual can opt in.
I hope this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
158. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Social Protection if, in advance of Budget 2027, he will review the means assessment for the increased rate of pension to ensure that savings held on deposit are not treated as income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44527/26]
View answerMy Department administers the State Pension (Contributory) and State Pension (Non-Contributory). Both are payable to people aged 66 and older.
Entitlement to the State Pension (Contributory) is based on a person's social insurance contributions. This payment is not means tested and a person's savings have no impact on the rate payable. However, if the claimant applies for an increase to their payment in respect of a qualified adult, the personal means of the spouse, partner or cohabitant must not exceed an income limit. The value of any savings, investments or property (other than a person’s primary residence) belonging to the spouse or partner are assessable as means. The first €20,000 of the value of any savings or capital assets is disregarded. The next €10,000 is assessed at €1 per €1,000. The next €10,000 is assessed at €2 per €1,000. The balance (over €40,000) is assessed at €4 per €1,000. If savings, investments or property (other than the primary family home) are held jointly by the couple, half is assessed.
Currently an Increase for a Qualified Adult (IQA) to the State Pension (Contributory) is payable at the maximum rate of €268.40 (for a spouse/partner over 66) where the means of the spouse/partner are €100 a week or less, while reduced rates are payable where the means are over €100 and less than €310 per week. No increase is payable where the means of the spouse or partner are in excess of €310 per week.
The State Pension (Non-Contributory) is a means-tested payment for people who are habitually residing in the State and who do not qualify for a State Pension (Contributory), or who only qualify for a reduced rate contributory pension based on their social insurance record.
For the purposes of the means-test for this payment, the value of any savings, investments or property (other than a person’s primary residence) are assessable as means. In the case of a couple, the savings and assets of a claimant and their spouse or partner are added together, and this total is halved in arriving at the amount attributable to the claimant. The first €20,000 of the value of any savings or capital assets is disregarded. The next €10,000 is assessed at €1 per €1,000. The next €10,000 is assessed at €2 per €1,000. The balance (over €40,000) is assessed at €4 per €1,000.
My Department is conducting a review of means testing within the social protection system. The aim is to examine various means-tested schemes and identify any issues related to the respective means tests. With over 140 schemes and services, many of which are means-tested, this is a complex and detailed task. I expect this review to be submitted for my consideration shortly.
Any prospective changes to means testing arrangements will need to be evaluated and considered within the broader context of overall policy and budgetary considerations.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
159. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is satisfied that the data-sharing and data-processing provisions contained in the general scheme of the Social Welfare and Other Matters Bill 2026, comply with the principles of necessity and proportionality under the GDPR and constitutional privacy protections; whether a detailed assessment or justification has been undertaken in respect of the scale of personal and financial data processing proposed, particularly for fraud prevention purposes; the statutory safeguards that will be included in the legislation to protect citizens' personal data; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44593/26]
View answer160. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is satisfied that the proposed legislation in the general scheme of Social Welfare and Other Matters Bill 2026 provides sufficient transparency to social welfare recipients regarding how their personal data may be collected, shared, cross-checked, profiled or otherwise processed across State bodies; what measures are proposed to prevent "function creep", whereby data collected for the administration of social welfare schemes may subsequently be used for unrelated enforcement or monitoring purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44594/26]
View answer161. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection the assessment that has been undertaken of international experiences where automated decision-making systems, welfare analytics or fraud detection technologies resulted in wrongful suspensions, incorrect overpayments, or discriminatory outcomes; whether consideration has been given to the potential for algorithmic bias or indirect discrimination arising from increased automation in eligibility assessments or fraud detection processes under the proposed general scheme of Social Welfare and Other Matters Bill 2026, the safeguards that will be implemented to mitigate such risks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44595/26]
View answer162. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is satisfied that the current oversight framework provides the Data Protection Commission with sufficient statutory powers and resources to effectively monitor compliance with large-scale interdepartmental welfare data-sharing arrangements; the way in which the Government intends to balance the legitimate objective of tackling welfare fraud with the privacy and constitutional rights of citizens who are fully compliant with the social protection system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44596/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 159, 160, 161 and 162 together.
The Social Welfare and Other Matters Bill 2026 provides for amendments to the Charities Act 2009, the Civil Registration Act 2004, and the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005.
The amendments to the Charities Act 2009 do not involve any processing of personal data. The amendments in the Bill relating to the Civil Registration Act and the Social Welfare Consolidation Act involve the processing of personal data, but do not include any provisions relating to either the processing of financial data or the sharing of personal data between State bodies or any other bodies, nor do they relate to any processing of personal data for the purposes of fraud prevention, enforcement or monitoring.
I am satisfied that the provisions of the Bill are necessary and proportionate and sufficiently clear. My department has consulted with the Data Protection Commission (DPC) on this Bill as required under the Data Protection Act 2018, and officials from both my department and the DPC have appeared before the relevant Oireachtas Committee during the pre-legislative process.
I am also satisfied that, in relation to the carrying out of its statutory functions in relation to preventing, detecting, investigating and prosecuting identity fraud and social welfare fraud, my department remains fully compliant with the Law Enforcement Directive and the Data Protection Act 2018, which governs the processing of personal data for those purposes.
My department shares personal data with a number of Government Departments, bodies, agencies, and local authorities, for the purposes which are set out in the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 and in other Acts. The data shared may be aggregated or individual depending on the legislative provisions and purpose which relate to the data sharing activity, which provisions set out the purpose for which the data can be shared.
Schedule 5 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 lists the specified bodies which are authorised to use the PPSN when carrying out their statutory functions and with which the Department can share personal data in relation to identity. Other provisions in that Act provide for the sharing of data for other purposes. In addition, other Acts provide a legal basis for sharing of personal data between the Department and other bodies.
In addition, my department has for many years automated its processes as much as possible by programming scheme rules into its IT systems. It is important to note that no claim is disallowed using these automated systems. Any claim that is not awarded on a flow-through basis is referred to a deciding officer of the department for human intervention.
My department is committed to embedding safeguards—including human review, bias testing, and strict governance—to ensure that any increased automation in eligibility assessment and fraud analytics cannot give rise to algorithmic bias or indirect discrimination. Furthermore, representatives from my department participate on numerous international and EU wide committees and as such are aware of emergent technologies and the associated risks.
My department has an effective data governance framework in place to ensure that it meets its obligations as a data controller under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 in respect of its data sharing activities. This includes putting in place specific data sharing agreements in respect of the sharing of data with other departments and agencies.
Any questions relating to the powers and resources of the Data Protection Commission, or the current oversight framework in respect of data protection, are a matter for the Minister for Justice.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
163. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection the latest data from the Central Statistics Office on trends in income inequality and poverty over the past decade; if the Gini coefficient has fallen from 32 to 27 between 2014 and 2024; whether the income quintile share ratio has declined over the same period; the changes in the at-risk-of-poverty rate and the consistent poverty rate since 2014; the way in which Ireland compares to other EU Member States on poverty and inequality indicators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44597/26]
View answerOfficial income and poverty data is published annually by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) in the Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC). This is an annual voluntary survey of approximately 5,000 households (approximately 12,000 individuals) carried out by the CSO.
The survey collects information on the income and living conditions of different households in Ireland, in order to derive indicators on poverty, deprivation and social exclusion.
This CSO survey is part of a wider European Union Survey on Income and Living Conditions (EU SILC) carried out in every EU country under EU legislation and published by Eurostat annually. It should be noted that there are slight variations in how the data is evaluated at national and EU levels, therefore the national data is not directly comparable with the EU data.
Additionally, since 2020 the income reference period for SILC is the previous calendar year. For example, the income referenced for the 2025 survey spans the period from January to December 2024.
The most recent national SILC data, for 2025, was published by the CSO in March 2026 and the most recent EU-SILC data was published by Eurostat in April 2026.
The Gini coefficient measures income equality across the entire income distribution. A Gini coefficient value of 0% denotes perfect equality, while a Gini Coefficient of 100% would denote perfect inequality.
The Gini coefficient reported in the EU-SILC by Eurostat for 2026 shows Ireland at 27.2, an improvement from the 2014 rate 31.0. Over this period, Ireland has improved from being slightly above the EU average (30.9 in 2014) to below it (29.2 in 2025). Ireland's ranking compared to other EU countries has also improved over the timeframe, from 17th in 2014 to 8th in 2025.
The quintile share ratio is the ratio of the total equivalised disposable income received by the 20% of persons with the highest income (fifth quintile) to that received by the 20% of persons with the lowest income (first quintile).
The income quintile share ratio for Ireland in 2025 was reported in EU-SILC by Eurostat as 3.9, compared with 4.9 in 2014. This is consistently lower than the EU average - 5.2 in 2014 and 4.6 in 2025. Additionally, there has been an improvement in the Irish ranking compared to other EU countries over this period, from 14th in 2014 to 7th in 2025.
Consistent poverty is the measure used in the National Social Target for Poverty Reduction, which aims to reduce consistent poverty to 2% or less in Ireland by 2030 (as updated in the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2026-2030). Consistent poverty is a national indicator which measures the overlap of two component indicators: the at-risk-of-poverty rate (those whose household income is below 60% of the median) and the enforced deprivation rate (capturing individuals lacking 2 or more of 11 basic necessities). It is not measured at an EU level.
Since 2014, the consistent poverty rate has decreased from 8.3% to 4.7% in 2025 as reported in SILC data. Meanwhile, the at-risk-of-poverty has also decreased over the same period, from 16.7% in 2014 to 12.6% in 2025.
It is very positive to see these improvements across key income and poverty indicators, demonstrating the impact of Government policies, supports and measures, but I am also aware of high levels of poverty for certain groups, such as children, disabled people and lone parents.
Implementation of the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2026-2030 is key to improving income equality and reducing poverty for all groups in society. I will continue to work with my Government colleagues as we strive for further improvements across Government on the key national income and poverty indicators.
164. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps his Department is taking to ensure that employees and employers fully understand their obligations and entitlements under the new auto-enrolment pension scheme in advance of the opt-out window coming into effect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44598/26]
View answerThe Programme for Government contained a commitment to introduce the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System (AE). 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 - known as MyFutureFund - commenced on the 1st January 2026. To oversee the operation of MyFutureFund, a new State body - the National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority (NAERSA) - has been established.
All participants are made aware by NAERSA of the opt out window at enrolment stage. Adverts also ran in Q3 2025 and Q1 2026 on different elements of the scheme and to provide awareness that the website www.myfuturefund.ie has all the information necessary for participants and employees. There is also a contact centre which is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm for queries and outside of those hours the website is operational with a chatbot facility for non-personal queries.
NAERSA has responsibility for the running of communications campaigns regarding MyFutureFund since the commencement of enrolments. I have been advised by NAERSA that it will shortly launch a Summer campaign on social media, print, radio and TV highlighting the benefits of MyFutureFund for participants. Alongside this, my Department will continue to work closely with NAERSA to ensure that stakeholders are aware of the scheme, the easy administration for employers, and the benefits of saving for retirement for employees.
I hope this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
