Best of both worlds: Retire early on highest possible pension

WHEN Paul Appleby dropped the unexpected bombshell last January that he was taking early retirement, the Government went into a state of panic.

The Director of Corporate Enforcement who was leading the investigation into the toxic Anglo Irish Bank was leaving before it had completed its work.

The Government was, at the time, commended for how it dealt with the difficulty in a short timeframe, by convincing Mr Appleby to stay on for a further six months, while allowing him to retain his early retirement terms.