Auto Enrolment Delayed Until the Second Half of 2024

This article was written in August 2023. For more up-to-date information on Ireland’s auto enrolment journey, please check out this article published in June 2026.

According to the Central Statistics Office, one in three workers in the state have no plan for income in retirement beyond the state pension. To bridge this gap, in 2022, the Irish government announced they were introducing an Automatic Enrolment (sometimes referred to as just ‘Auto Enrolment’) retirement savings system, with an aim for the system to be implemented in phases, beginning in January 2024. However, after being delayed a number of times in recent years, further delays were announced in August 2023. The automatic enrolment of employees into pension schemes are now planned to begin in the second half of 2024.

Auto Enrolment will apply to all employees who don’t have an occupational pension plan and who meet specific age and earnings criteria. Under this scheme, employees will make contributions from their salary, which their employer will match. What’s more, the State will provide a top-up contribution, ensuring a solid foundation for retirement.

The role of the Central Processing Authority (CPA)

The backbone of this new system, the Central Processing Authority (CPA) will take charge of managing the overall operation. From determining employee eligibility and instructing payroll processors accordingly through the Auto Enrolment Payroll Notification (AEPN), to providing a pension portal, to administering funds when member reach retirement age: the CPA aims to streamline the entire process.

Through the pension portal, participants will have full visibility of their growing pension pot. They can also select the scheme that suits them best, empowering them to make informed decisions about their financial future.

In July 2023, responding to a written question from Patrick Costello, a TD from the Green Party, Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, revealed that the legislation required to establish the CPA is currently in the works. She expressed her intention to publish it this autumn, and for it to then commence its passage through the Oireachtas.

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