Ireland's Auto-Enrolment Pension Launches Soon — Here's a Free Calculator That Actually Explains It

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Ireland's Auto-Enrolment Pension Launches Soon — Here's a Free Calculator That Actually Explains It

Ireland's My Future Fund (auto-enrolment) starts phased rollout in 2025. By the time it's fully live, every employed worker aged 23-60 earning €20,000+ who isn't already in an occupational pension will be auto-enrolled.

The government is rolling this out because 65% of private-sector workers in Ireland have NO pension beyond the State Pension. That's one of the worst retirement readiness figures in the EU.

We built a free calculator so you can see exactly what the scheme means for your take-home pay and your retirement pot.

→ IE Auto-Enrolment Pension Calculator

How Contributions Actually Work

Unlike a traditional occupational pension, auto-enrolment uses a matching structure:

Year 1-3: You pay 1.5%, employer pays 1.5%, State tops up 0.5%
Year 4-6: You 3%, employer 3%, State 1%
Year 7-9: You 4.5%, employer 4.5%, State 1.5%
Year 10+: You 6%, employer 6%, State 2% (total 14% of gross salary)

The State top-up replaces what would have been tax relief in a traditional pension — so higher-rate taxpayers get LESS from auto-enrolment than from a traditional AVC.

Our calculator shows this comparison side-by-side.

The Big Question: Opt Out or Stay In?

You can opt out after 6 months, but you'll be re-enrolled every 2 years. The calculator runs both scenarios:

Stay in: Your pot at age 66 with compound growth
Opt out: What you keep in take-home pay today + invest yourself

Most workers come out ahead by staying in — but if you already max out an occupational pension or AVC, opting out to avoid dilution may make sense. The tool helps you decide.