Ahern clocks up €270k expenses since retirement

FORMER taoiseach Bertie Ahern has claimed €270,000 in expenses from the state since stepping down in 2008.

Mr Ahern, recently accused by a top academic of handling the economy like an “intoxicated joyrider” before it collapsed, gets two secretarial assistants, free mobile phone use and VIP services in airports.

He also gets the use of a state car for any official engagements.

Figures provided by the Department of the Taoiseach show that his claims are far higher than those of other former taoisigh, including Albert Reynolds and John Bruton, who are entitled to the same perks.

Since leaving office in May 2008, Ahern claimed €265,000 in secretarial expenses and €7,500 in mobile phone bills. His secretarial expenses amounted to €106,838 last year and €114,369 in 2009.

He claimed €42,890 for secretarial expenses in the first six months of this year, compared to €24,731 for Mr Reynolds and €13,562 for Mr Bruton.

Brian Cowen claimed €15,260 for secretarial assistance until the end of June.

Mr Ahern was sharply criticised last week by Dr Ed Walsh, the University of Limerick’s founding president.

He said Mr Ahern, Mr Cowen and Charlie McCreevy had “the economic insights of intoxicated joyriders” and “poured fuel on the flames by incentivising speculative building and borrowing”.

Yesterday, it emerged that no one in the Department of Finance, the Central Bank or the Financial Regulator’s office has been sacked for their role in the economic crisis.

Patrick Neary, who retired as the Financial Regulator in 2008, got a €630,000 pay-off, with a guaranteed public service pension of €143,000 a year for the rest of his life.

The Oireachtas Finance Committee will this week begin an in-depth review of the financial situation in Ireland.

Over the coming weeks, it will hear from the heads of NAMA, the National Treasury Management Agency, Bank of Ireland and AIB.

Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin and European Commissioner for Economic Affairs Ollie Rehn will also attend.

The process will begin this week with governor of the Central Bank Patrick Honohan and regulator Matthew Elderfield appearing before the committee.