FF Senator caves in on pensions

Roscommon Senator Terry Leyden has become the latest politician to bow to pressure and give up his ministerial pension.

It follows the decision yesterday by all Fine Gael and Labour politicians, as well as former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and a number of others in Fianna Fáil, to surrender the payment.

The opposition is set to keep the pressure on the Taoiseach this morning, with five politicians still holding out on their ministerial pensions.

Just three TDs and two MEPs are left, after an avalanche of announcements, sparked by the decision from EU Commissioner Maire Geoghegan Quinn on Monday.