€80,000 pension to soften election blow for Collins

FORMER MEP Gerry Collins is entitled to Dáil and ministerial pensions of €80,000 per annum in addition to a contributory pension from the European Parliament.

Mr Collins, who lost the last seat in the South constituency to Independent candidate Kathy Sinnott, was an MEP for 10 years, and was paid a Dáil salary in addition to a generous expenses and allowances package.

After over 30 years as a TD, Mr Collins is now entitled to receive a Dáil pension of around €40,000, which is equivalent to half a TD’s salary. Mr Collins was a TD from 1967 to 1997, and had a dual mandate for three years having being elected to the European Parliament in 1994.

In addition to his Dáil pension, the 67-year-old Limerick man is already entitled to a ministerial pension, having served as Minister for Post and Telegraphs, Justice and Foreign Affairs.

The last available figures for his annual ministerial pension payments date back to 2002 when Mr Collins received €40,485, in addition to his European Parliament salary.

MEPs are also entitled to participate in a European Parliament contributory pension scheme, paying circa €800 per month. The amount of pension is dependent on the MEP’s length of tenure.

The highest ministerial pensions are paid to former Taoisigh.

In 2002, a sum of €79,780 was paid to the Charles Haughey in addition to his TD’s pension.

The amount in pensions paid to other ex-taoisigh were: €78,770 to John Bruton; €78,703 to Albert Reynolds; €74,794 to Garrett FitzGerald; and €59,835 to Liam Cosgrave. All received an additional €34,000 that year in Dáil pensions.

Former presidents Mary Robinson and Paddy Hillery were each paid €111,164 in pensions in 2002.