Pension Auto-Enrolment Overview

What is Pension Auto-Enrolment

Auto-enrolment (AE) is a new government-managed savings scheme which commenced in January 2026. Eligible employees will be automatically enrolled into the state pension fund. The new system, known as MyFutureFund, is designed to ensure that employees have a retirement savings plan.

How will auto-enrolment work?

A new public body, the National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority (NAERSA), manages the system. NAERSA will determine which employees are eligible for auto-enrolment using Revenue payroll data, and it will enrol them. It will collect all contributions from employees, employers, and the State, and then invest this money on the employee's behalf.

Employees will be placed in a default investment fund, but they will have the choice to move their money to alternative funds. All investment returns will be added to their personal savings pot. This pot is fully portable, meaning it stays with the employee as they move between jobs.

To facilitate this, NAERSA runs two separate online portals: one for employees to manage their account (such as opting out or pausing payments) and another for employers to manage and track their contribution payments.

Who Will Be Auto-Enrolled?

An employee will be automatically enrolled if they:

• Are aged between 23 and 60.
• Earn €20,000 or moreper year (across all employments).
• do not have existing supplementary pension coverage recorded in payroll

Employees who are not automatically enrolled because of their age (under 23 or over 60) or income (under €20,000) can still choose to "opt in" to the scheme.

If they decide to join, all the standard auto-enrolment rules will apply. This means the employer will be required to make matching contributions, and the employee will also receive the State top-up.

People who are self-employed and those who are not currently earning an income through an employer will not be enrolled and will not be able to opt in initially.

In this section, SFA Members will have access to Auto-Enrolment specific Legislation, Sample Communications, Frequently Asked Questions and much more.