Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Act 2024
Number 20 of 2024
AUTOMATIC ENROLMENT RETIREMENT SAVINGS SYSTEM ACT 2024
REVISED
Updated to 1 January 2026
This Revised Act is an administrative consolidation of the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Act 2024. It is prepared by the Law Reform Commission in accordance with its function under the Law Reform Commission Act 1975 (3/1975) to keep the law under review and to undertake revision and consolidation of statute law.
All Acts up to and including the National Training Fund (Amendment) Act 2025 (21/2025), enacted 23 December 2025, and all statutory instruments up to and including the European Union (Restrictive Measures Concerning Iraq) Regulations 2026 (S.I. No. 1 of 2026), made 6 January 2026, were considered in the preparation of this Revised Act.
Disclaimer: While every care has been taken in the preparation of this Revised Act, the Law Reform Commission can assume no responsibility for and give no guarantees, undertakings or warranties concerning the accuracy, completeness or up to date nature of the information provided and does not accept any liability whatsoever arising from any errors or omissions. Please notify any errors, omissions and comments by email to
revisedacts@lawreform.ie.
Number 20 of 2024
AUTOMATIC ENROLMENT RETIREMENT SAVINGS SYSTEM ACT 2024
REVISED
Updated to 1 January 2026
CONTENTS
Preliminary and General
Section
1. Short title and commencement
An Túdaráa NáisiÚnta um Uathrollú Coigiltis Scoir
Establishment of An tÚdarás Náisiúnta um Uathrollú Coigiltis Scoir
8. An tÚdarás Náisiúnta um Uathrollú Coigiltis Scoir
Board of Authority
13. Conditions of membership of Board
14. Membership of either House of Oireachtas, European Parliament or local authority
15. Ineligibility to become and disqualification to act as member of Board
16. Removal of member of Board
21. Remuneration and expenses of members of Board and committees of Board
22. Disclosure of interests by member of Board or of committee of Board
23. Disclosure of interests by members of staff of Authority or other persons
24. Prohibition on unauthorised disclosure of confidential information
Staff of Authority, engagement of consultants, advisers and service providers
25. Appointment of chief executive
26. Functions of chief executive
28. Membership of either House of Oireachtas, European Parliament or local authority
29. Removal of chief executive
31. Engagement of consultants and advisers
32. Engagement of service providers
Funding, reporting and accountability
33. Appearance before Public Accounts Committee
34. Appearances before committees of Houses of Oireachtas
41. Request from Minister to Authority for report
42. Production of statistical data
43. Power to monitor, review and make recommendations
Supervisory report by Pensions Authority
44. Supervisory report by Pensions Authority
45. Preparation and submission of supervisory report by Pensions Authority
46. Annual fee payable to Pensions Authority
Enrolment and Contributions
Preliminary
Enrolment
52. Standards for purposes of section 51
56. Power to amend age limits and earnings threshold
Contributions
59. Payment of participant contribution and employer contribution
60. Payment of State contribution
62. Suspension of contributions
63. Repayment of contributions on opting out
64. Repayment of contributions in prescribed circumstances
65. Power to amend earnings limit
Further power to make regulations
66. Further power to make regulations
Investment
68. Investment management providers
69. AE provider schemes and risk levels
70. Assignment of contributions to appropriate risk level
71. Power to provide for selection of more than one risk level
72. Investment of contributions
73. Transfer between AE provider schemes
75. Contractual provision on environmental and other matters
77. Amendment of Investment Intermediaries Act 1995
Payment out of Accounts
Interpretation and general
79. Notification and verification of death
80. Provision of benefits under arrangements made by Authority
Payment, other than early payment, to or in respect of participant
83. Payment to participant at or after pensionable age
84. Payment in the event of death of participant
Early payment on grounds of incapacity or exceptional ill-health
85. Application for early payment on grounds of incapacity or exceptional ill-health
86. Redemption of units for early payment
88. Procedure for applications and payments under Chapter 3
Unclaimed balances
89. Interpretation (Chapter 4)
91. Notice of unclaimed balance
93. Transfer of moneys to Dormant Accounts Fund
94. Register of unclaimed balances
95. Disclosure of information for statistical purposes
97. Application for unclaimed balance
Communications and Services
101. Electronic system to be used by default
102. Provision of information to public by Authority
103. Provision for communications and services otherwise than online
104. Powers to make provision for purposes of communications and services
105. Participants’ annual statements
106. Amendment and application of Freedom of Information Act 2014
Information Sharing and data Protection
109. Disclosure of certain information to Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, etc.
110. Amendment of Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005
111. Processing of personal data and special categories of personal data
112. Regulations for purposes of data protection
Reviews and Appeals
114. Determinations subject to internal review
119. Amendment of Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman Act 2017
Compliance and Enforcement
Interpretation
Authorised officers and compliance
122. Powers of authorised officers
126. Authority may publish information respecting certain persons
Penalisation and hindering of employees
127. Protection of employees from penalisation
128. Hindering employee from participating in automatic enrolment
Workplace relations
129. Decision under section 41 or 44 of Act of 2015
Offences
131. Offences in relation to contributions
135. Time limit for instituting summary proceedings
136. Admissibility of certain documents in proceedings for offence
137. Presumptions in proceedings for offence
Miscellaneous
138. Interest on arrears of contributions
139. Court may order employer or employee to pay arrears of contributions
Acts Referred to
Central Bank Act 1942 (No. 22)
Civil Legal Aid Act 1995 (No. 32)
Civil Service Regulation Act 1956 (No. 46)
Civil Service Regulation Acts 1956 to 2005
Companies Act 2014 (No. 38)
Comptroller and Auditor General (Amendment) Act 1993 (No. 8)
Data Protection Act 2018 (No. 7)
Dormant Accounts Acts 2001 to 2012
Ethics in Public Office Act 1995 (No. 22)
European Parliament Elections Act 1997 (No. 2)
Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman Act 2017 (No. 22)
Freedom of Information Act 2014 (No. 30)
Interpretation Act 2005 (No. 23)
Investment Intermediaries Act 1995 (No. 11)
Local Government Act 2001 (No. 37)
Pensions Act 1990 (No. 25)
Personal Injuries Resolution Board Act 2022 (No. 42)
Petty Sessions (Ireland) Act 1851 (14 & 15 Vict., c. 93)
Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Act 2022 (No. 27)
Protected Disclosures Act 2014 (No. 14)
Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004 (No. 33)
Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (No. 10)
Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (No. 26)
Student Support Act 2011 (No. 4)
Succession Act 1965 (No. 27)
Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (No. 39)
Unfair Dismissals Acts 1977 to 2015
Unit Trusts Act 1990 (No. 37)
Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 (No. 8)
Workplace Relations Act 2015 (No. 16)
Number 20 of 2024
AUTOMATIC ENROLMENT RETIREMENT SAVINGS SYSTEM ACT 2024
REVISED
Updated to 1 January 2026
An Act to provide for the establishment of a body to be known as An tÚdarás Náisiúnta um Uathrollú Coigiltis Scoir; to provide for that body to establish, maintain and administer an automatic enrolment retirement savings system for employees in employment not covered by qualifying schemes; to provide for automatic enrolment and re-enrolment of participants in that system and for opting into and out of the system; to provide for payment of contributions by participants, their employers and the State, the investment of contributions and the payment of retirement savings out of participants’ accounts; to provide for the consequential amendments of certain enactments; and to provide for related matters.
[9th July, 2024]
Be it enacted by the Oireachtas as follows: