Cowen paid €310k after quitting as taoiseach

Brian Cowen was paid more than €310,000 after stepping down as taoiseach last year.

The full picture has emerged of the total sums paid in pensions and golden handshakes to all TDs who retired or lost their seat in last year’s general election — with former Fianna Fáil ministers among the biggest winners.

According to the Department of Finance figures released yesterday, Mr Cowen was paid a ministerial pension of €79,738.97 in 2011.

This was on top of his Dáil pension of €17,544 for 2011 in respect of the 27 years he served as a TD. This pension rose to €20,806 for the first five months of 2012.

Mr Cowen, 52, was also awarded a “lump sum pension payment” of €159,873 as well as a “termination lump sum” of €16,404 and a “termination payment” of €36,909 from the Oireachtas. Combined with his ministerial pension, his total payoff for 2011 amounted to €310,469.

His predecessor, Bertie Ahern, was not far behind with a total taxpayer-funded payment of almost €300,000 when he stepped down as a TD in Feb 2011.

Mr Ahern was awarded a ministerial pension of €83,341 last year, but unlike Mr Cowen opted to pay €14,618 back to the exchequer, bringing it to €68,723.

He was also awarded a pension lump sum of €159,873, a termination lump sum of €16,404, a termination payment of €36,909, and a pension of €17,544. This brought his total pension and termination payments from the Oireachtas to €230,730 and his total pension in 2011 to €299,454.

Former tánaiste Mary Coughlan got a total payment of €242,131 last year. This included her ministerial severance payment of €54,451.62 as well as her Dáil pensions and lump sum payments amounting to €187,680.

Ms Coughlan, 47, received an Oireachtas pension of €18,674 in the first five months of 2012.

Dermot Ahern, 57, the former justice minister, received a total payment of €294,412 on walking away from politics last year.

This includes a ministerial pension of €58,684 and ministerial severance payments of €5,095 in 2011 as well as Oireachtas pension and lump sum payments amounting to €230,633.

Noel Dempsey, who served in a number of ministries from 1997 to 2011, received a total payment of €297,590 after stepping down last year.

This includes a ministerial pension of €62,113, lump sum payments of €213,186, and a Dáil pension of €17,544.

Former Progressive Democrats leader Mary Harney, who stayed in coalition with Fianna Fáil as health minister after her party dismantled, received a payoff amounting to €298,893 when she retired from a long career in politics last year.

Her ministerial pension amounted to €69,305 in 2011 and her Dáil pension was €17,544. She also got a pension lump sum of €158,730, a termination lump sum of €16,404, and a termination payment of €36,909.

Former finance minister and European commissioner Charlie McCreevy got a ministerial pension of €69,132 and TD pension of €49,935 bringing the total to €119,067.

Former arts minister Martin Cullen, who retired from politics in Mar 2010 because of an illness, got a ministerial pension of €69,132 and a TD’s pension of €49,935 in 2011, bringing his total pension for the year to €119,067.