High public pensions to be targeted in budget

THE Government has said plans to end extra-high pension payments for senior civil servants should feature in the budget following angry reactions to data showing that the former secretary to the Government was paid more than €570,000 on retirement.

Dermot McCarthy received a special severance payment of €142,670.50, in addition to a lump sum of €428,011.50, when he left the civil service during the summer.

Figures released to RTÉ under Freedom of Information (FoI) act show that the retired senior civil servant’s annual pension is €142,670.50.