Gormley and Ryan payment doubt

CONFUSION last night surrounded whether Green ex-ministers John Gormley and Eamon Ryan would keep their lucrative Cabinet payoffs of nearly €90,000 each.

The pair, whose party propped-up the Fianna Fáil-led Government until they quit the coalition last month after Brian Cowen’s botched attempt to reshuffle his top team, said they had not yet decided what to do about the “golden goodbyes”.

Mr Gormley said he would have to discuss the matter with his family and the party, even though he announced he would be proposing a radical overhaul of severance payments for departing ministers in a policy review to be released later in the election campaign.