Kenny accuses Martin of gutter politics in pension payments clash

ENDA KENNY last night accused Micheál Martin of “descending into the gutter” as a bitter clash over pension payments dominated the election campaign.

The angry war of words exploded after the Fianna Fáil leader branded Mr Kenny a “rank hypocrite” for criticising severance payments for outgoing ministers.

Mr Martin seized on reports that the Fine Gael leader was due to receive a €100,000 lump sum payment from his teachers’ pension when he turned 60 in April as well as a €30,000 annual pension.

Mr Kenny hit back, insisting he had not taken “one red cent” from his former profession as a teacher in more than 30 years as he said Fianna Fáil was engaging in “guttersnipe politics”.

“In case anybody has any illusions that the leader of the Fine Gael party is in any way involved in a money situation here, I will not be accepting any pension from the teaching profession,” he said at a rally ib the Aviva stadium.

He called on retiring ministers who were “running away” from the Dáil in their early 50s on pensions of €100,000 a year, not to accept the money. In a swipe at Mr Martin, the Fine Gael leader said he should formally quit his teaching post today and not wait until the end of the year as the FF chief has formally indicated.

“I want the good deputy to understand that unlike others, my job was resigned by me and was filled on a fully permanent position by some good teacher in my place,” he added.

Mr Martin began the bitter exchange by saying it would be “wrong” for Mr Kenny to accept pension payments after strong Fine Gael attacks on outgoing ministers for accepting severance payments.

“I accuse the Fine Gael party of rank hypocrisy and campaigning around the country on this. They talk the talk but don’t walk the walk.

“I just discovered... that Enda Kenny was due this April to get a €100,000 lump sum and €30,000 per annum despite the fact he has only been in the classroom for four years and in other words accumulating rights for 30 years as a TD. I think that’s wrong,” he told RTÉ.

Mr Martin, who initially insisted he would keep his €88,000 ministerial severance pay despite running for the Dáil again, then bowed to public pressure and said he would forego it, pointed out Mr Kenny was also given a ministerial pay-off after the Rainbow government.

“He took a pension for 13 years while he was a TD and yet he is allowed go around the country promoting a new policy,” the Fianna Fáil leader said.

Mr Martin said he had not resigned from his teaching post in Co Cork after becoming a TD because the person substituting for him would lose their job and the school would lose a teacher.

Mr Martin said that he would resign at the end of the academic year because “people are raising the last hair” on the subject with him.

Mr Kenny insisted the school would not lose a post if Mr Martin resigned.