Máire climbs down on €108k pension

INTENSE anger over Máire Geoghegan-Quinn’s €108,000 Oireachtas pension saw the embattled EU commissioner surrender the payment to the state last night after the row threatened to damage Brian Cowen’s authority.

Ms Geoghegan-Quinn abandoned her stance of refusing to even discuss the matter and announced she would forego her ministerial and TD pension rights while she is earning €243,000 a year as Ireland’s representative in Brussels.

A day of high political drama saw the Taoiseach refusing to toughen his line over Ms Geoghegan-Quinn, insisting it was an “individual” matter. However, he was outflanked on the issue by a number of his cabinet.