FF TDs to face Fine Gael vote on pension entitlement

THREE Fianna Fáil politicians who are clinging onto their ministerial pensions will come under further pressure today when the opposition raises the issue in the Dáil.

Fine Gael is tabling a motion which, if passed, would commit the Government to introducing legislation to cease the payment of ministerial pensions to serving politicians. But the Government is expected to citelegal advice that it would be unconstitutional to remove the pensions. The motion will be debated tonight and voted on tomorrow.

All Fine Gael and Labour politicians in receipt of ministerial pensions announced last week that they would relinquish them until they retired. That put pressure on Fianna Fáil politicians to follow suit and many did, most notably former taoiseach Bertie Ahern who surrendered his €83,000 pension.