The newly appointed Fine Gael ­deputy leader will bring a memo to the Cabinet today, setting out how she will introduce a scheme which will see 800,000 private sector workers automatically signed up for a pension.

The minister has long championed the auto-enrolment model which will see the State contribute €1 for every €3 a worker puts into their pension, while employers will be forced to match the worker’s €3.

This means private sector employees will end up with €7 in their pension pot for every €3 they put in.

Ms Humphreys is said to be very keen to ensure the new auto-enrolment system is easy to understand and communicated properly to the public.

Along with her pay-related benefits scheme, the minister wants to ensure the auto-enrolment system comes into effect before her term in office comes to an end.

The minister is expected to tell Cabinet that auto-enrolment pensions have been talked about for decades and that approval of the legislation will pave the way for one of the biggest reforms of the pension system in the history of the State.

All employees who are not already in an occupational pension scheme and who are aged between 23 and 60 years old earning over €20,000 across all of their employments will be automatically enrolled.

There will be provisions in the legislation to allow workers to opt out should they wish.

However, experience from other countries shows that once people are auto-enrolled, very few people decide to leave the system.

Ms Humphreys wants to have the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill enacted as quickly as possible so that the new system can commence and first contributions to the scheme can start next January 1.

Meanwhile, taoiseach-designate ­Simon Harris and Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien are bringing a memo to Cabinet which will legislate to ensure student accommodation tenancies are linked to the academic year.

The move from the Government comes after some private student accommodation firms said they would only offer 51-week tenancies for students.

This means 41-week tenancies – that would only last nine months of the academic year – would no longer be available and prove an extra cost for students during the summer months for accommodation they may not need.

Students will still be able to have 51-week leases if they specifically request those themselves.

Mr Harris and Mr O’Brien will seek legislative amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) 2004-2022 to come into force before the next academic year.

The ministers both believe the actions of private student accommodation providers is “unacceptable” and even though 51-week tenancies may suit some third-level students, they are “not desirable”.

Mr Harris has also written to all relevant local authorities seeking an urgent assessment of planning permissions.

Previously, private student accommodation blocks were usually rented out to tourists during the summer months after students moved out.

The standard student accommodation lease for undergraduate students is 38 to 40 weeks.