The Government has vowed to crack down on employers who do not sign up for the new auto-enrolment pension scheme, "getting tough" with fines of up to €50,000 for those who ignore the new laws. It will see a pension contribution automatically deducted from their salary and transferred to a retirement savings account. Currently, there are 82,000 employers who have signed up for the scheme, representing 668,000 employees as of December 30. The National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority (NAERSA), the independent body overseeing the rollout and implementation, will be responsible for pursuing such companies. Mr Calleary said the existing State pension will have a role in the future, but given Ireland’s changing demographics, it is necessary for an auto-enrolment scheme.

Source: Irish Examiner December 31, 2025 06:00 UTC