Thomas Gould
Ceist:650. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person who moves jobs after four years must start auto-enrolment again at 1.5% or will remain at 3%. [72033/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 16 December 2025
Ceisteanna (650)
Freagraí scríofa
The introduction of a pensions auto-enrolment system is a Programme for Government commitment, and one of my key priorities. The aim of introducing an Automatic Enrolment (AE) system is to address the pension coverage gap that exists in Ireland, and to help provide for better retirement incomes for workers. The new system will be called 'My Future Fund' and it will launch from the 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 My Future Fund. Those who fall outside the age and earnings threshold, i.e., those aged between 18 and 23 or between 60 and 66, and/or who earn below €20,000 per annum will be able to join the new retirement savings system voluntarily by opting in.
Contributions into My Future Fund will be made by the employee, the employer and the State. Based on the employee’s gross earnings, employer and employee matching contributions will start at:
- 1.5% of gross earnings for Years 1-3,
- rising to 3% in Years 4-6,
- to 4.5% in Years 7-9, and
- to the maximum contribution rate of 6% from Year 10 onwards.
A State top-up will also be contributed, which will be at the rate of a third of the employee’s contribution.
It should be noted that ‘years’ here, as provided for in the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Act 2024, refers to years from when contribution collection commences (i.e., January 2026) and not years of service. Therefore, changes in employment do not reset the contribution rates to 1.5%, they will continue at the prevailing rate for the system at that time - so at 3% in the case posited in the question.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.