Noonan defends decision to claim €30k pension

FINE Gael’s finance spokesman, Michael Noonan, has defended his decision to continue claiming a ministerial pension, saying it goes directly to two charities.

He is one of five TDs — four from Fine Gael and one from Fianna Fáil — who continued to draw down a ministerial pension on top of their TD salary in 2010.

Eighteen TDs volunteered to “gift” their ministerial pensions to the state last April following public pressure. Controversy over such payments arose after it emerged Máire Geoghegan-Quinn was earning a €108,000 pension on top of her €243,000 salary as Ireland’s EU commissioner.