Taoisigh pension hikes to proceed
Brendan Howlin, the public expenditure and reform minister, said that he would be breaking the law if he moved to stop the controversial rises.
Mr Howlin also delivered a public rebuke to Health Minister Leo Varadkar after he “demanded” another €1bn for the HSE.
Mr Howlin said he was constitutionally barred from preventing pension rises for Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen, who has been before the Oireachtas probe into the economic collapse.
A relaxation of emergency restraints on public service pensions will see the former politicians receive boosts of €1,680, pushing Mr Cowen’s take to €136,000.
Mr Howlin said: “Yes, people were paid too much in the run-up to the last election in terms of senior politicians, and we have dramatically reduced that. The Taoiseach’s salary is 40% less than his predecessor and mine is 35% less.
“The problem is pensions are based on the end of career salary and under our Constitution pensions are preserved property rights and I can no more take somebody’s pension than I can take their house.
“Much less could I make a monetary decision that would affect anybody as I would have no constitutional right to do so.”
Mr Howlin also expressed amusement at Mr Varadkar’s call for an extra €1bn for the HSE, saying that was the figure sought every year.
“The last four years we haven’t had spare billions to give to anybody”, Mr Howlin said as he revealed he was behind schedule with budget preparations and would not conclude bilateral talks with ministers until September.
