Monday, October 5, 2009

€795,631 paid in pensions to currently serving TD’s and MEP’s in 2008

oireachtas THE audited Financial Accounts for the Exchequer for the year ended 31 December 2008 have been published by the Department of Finance.

Our judiciary was paid €27,748,576 ~ 8 justices of the Supreme Court, 37 justices of the High Court, 37 judges of the Circuit Court and 59 district justices.

One of the bugbears of citizens is the payment of pensions to former Ministers and other office holders while they continue to hold elected office.  A total of €4,467,657 was paid in respect of politicians’ pensions last year, including those currently in office and those no longer active in politics. 

The list includes former Attorney General and subsequently AIB Chairman Dermot Gleeson SC (€49,841) and tribunal witnesses Liam T Cosgrave (€18,736) and Ray Burke (€56,260).

Current office holders paid severance payments include Bertie Ahern (€68,337) and Tom Kitt (€23,641).  Kitt is Chairman of the Joint Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.

Four MEP’s, 25 TD’s and one senator are among the following current office holders received pension payments in 2008:

Recipient Current Office Party
Bertie Ahern TD FF 14,923
Bernard Allen TD and Chair PAC FG 6,021
Liam Aylward MEP FF 13,348
Sean Barrett TD and Chair FG 54,033
Richard Bruton TD FG 14,534
Paul Connaughton TD FG 17,662
Joan Burton TD Lab 8,475
Jimmy Deenihan TD FG 6,020
Proinsias de Rossa MEP Lab 13,833
Bernard Durkan TD and Chair FG 6,020
Frank Fahey TD and Chair FF 47,874
Pat the Cope Gallagher MEP FF 16,372
Eamonn Gilmore TD Lab 6,016
Jim Higgins MEP FG 5,829
Michael D Higgins TD Lab 19,469
Enda Kenny TD FG 15,468
Seamus Kirk TD FF 19,499
Terry Leyden Senator FF 21,309
Jim McDaid TD FF 24,681
Liz McManus TD Lab 6,020
Gay Mitchell MEP FG 6,021
Michael J. Noonan TD FG 43,842
Rory O’Hanlon TD FF 44,136
Jim O’Keeffe TD FG 19,504
Ned O’Keeffe TD FF 7,475
Mary O’Rourke TD and Chair FF 55,504
Brian O’Shea TD Lab 8,469
Ruari Quinn TD Lab 50,449
Pat Rabbitte TD Lab 6,036
Emmet Stagg TD Lab 8,469
Noel Tracey TD and Chair FF 40,212
Michael Woods TD and Chair FF 109,190
      €795,631
       

3 comments:

  1. Currently_Smokin_HopiumOctober 20, 2009 at 12:41 PM

    @ Crimson

    Can you clarify?

    Is Fionna O'Malley currently a Senator in receipt of a TD's pension?

    Do TD's get a pension immediately on leaving office?

    http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2009/1020/1224257055159.html

    ReplyDelete
  2. Fiona has not yet been a Minister or Minister of State. She is not listed in the Financial Accounts for the Exchequer 2008

    ReplyDelete
  3. I would just like to point out the figure for Michael J Noonan relates to the former Fianna Fail deputy for Limerick West. The correct figure for Fine Gael T.D for Limerick East, Michael Noonan is 31,430.

    ReplyDelete