30 former ministers get pension over €100k

MORE than 30 former ministers are in receipt of pensions in excess of €100,000 a year.

Many of those are getting the generous payments well before they reach retirement age.

Former taoiseach Brian Cowen has a pension of €151,061 according to the figures provided to the Dáil by Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin.

This week the minister announced changes to the pension entitlements for civil servants, meaning they cannot claim a pension or lump sum payment until the reach normal retirement age.

But many of members of the last administration have pensions of about €119,000 including Dermot Ahern, 56; Noel Dempsey, 58; and Martin Cullen, 58.

Former health minister and tánaiste Mary Harney, who is seven years short of the normal retiring age, is paid an annual pension of €129,805.

Sinn Féin described the payments as “obscene” and called for a change of the rules governing pensions for former ministers.

The party’s spokesperson on finance, Pearse Doherty, said: “There’s one rule for politicians and another rule for the rest” because former office holders can claim a pension once they turn 50.

He said: “Many of the people who are getting these ministerial pensions are still paid by the public purse.”

Alan Dukes, who is believed to be paid €150,000 for his role as chairman of state-owned Anglo Irish Bank (now the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation) has a ministerial pension of €94,467.

Fianna Fáil MEP Pat The Cope Gallagher has a ministerial pension of €70,562 on top of his European Parliament salary of €92,000.

His colleague, MEP Liam Aylward, has gifted his pension back to the state.

Tom Parlon, a lobbyist for the Construction Industry Federation, has a pension of €31,192 from his time as a junior minister in the Progressive Democrats.

Former tánaiste Dick Spring has a ministerial pension of €121,108. This is on top of his basic salary of €27,375 and €3,000 for every committee meeting he attends as public interest director at the partly state-owned AIB.

President-elect Michael D Higgins has a ministerial pension of €87,928, but said during the election campaign he would not draw this down when he takes up his position in the Áras.

Picture: Former taoisigh Brian Cowen is in receipt of an annual pension of €151,061 according to the figures