Ex-TDs serving in Europe forego pensions

THREE Dublin MEPs yesterday followed the lead of their independent colleague Marian Harkin in telling the Department of Finance to stop paying their Oireachtas pensions.

The four politicians, who are all seeking re-election, announced yesterday that to help the public finances they would no longer collect the pensions they built up as TDs.

The announcement comes ahead of the implementation of a new system for paying MEPs which will include a pension from Brussels for the first time.