Cost of running President's office set to rise 

President Higgins receives a reduced salary of just under €250,000 after continuing the practice of accepting a voluntary pay cut, which was started by his predecessor Mary McAleese.

The cost of running the Office of the President is set to increase by more than 5% next year to more than €4.8 million.

The figure includes a travel and subsistence allowance of €310,000, as well as training, development and incidental expenses of €340,000. The gross pay bill for the president and his staff will increase by 2% to just over €2 million.

Taxpayers are also expected to pick up a bill of €390,000 for office equipment and external IT services, while centenarian bounties for citizens who reach the age of 100 are expected to cost €1.75 million.

The total expenditure estimate for the Office of the President in 2022 is €1.68 million higher than it was in 2011 when Michael D. Higgins was first elected – an increase of more than 53%.

Since then, the budgetary estimate for training, development and incidental expenses has doubled from €170,000 to €340,000; while estimated travel and subsistence costs have increased by 148%.

The expenditure provided for in Budget 2022 is also €835,000 more than it was in 2017, when training, development and incidental expenses were expected to cost €295,000, and €310,000 was set aside for travel and subsistence.

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While a breakdown of the €2 million pay bill for next year is not yet available, a total of €912,000 was budgeted for the president’s household staff in 2020. These included an executive head chef, a catering and services captain, an assistant chef, a cook, and up to 12 catering and services assistants.

A spokesman for Áras an Uachtaráin said that the 5.2% increase in estimated expenditure for 2022 was attributable to pay increases and a rise in the cost of the Centenarian Bounty scheme.

“The additional funding allocated in 2022 is to provide for an increase in funding for the Centenarian Bounty scheme (driven by demographics) and the implementation of the public sector pay increases associated with the Public Service Stability Agreement,” he explained.

Citizens who reach the age of 100 receive €2,540, along with a commemorative coin and a congratulatory letter signed by the president. The funding allocated to the scheme for next year represents an increase of around 13%.

President Higgins receives a reduced salary of just under €250,000 after continuing the practice of accepting a voluntary pay cut, which was started by his predecessor Mary McAleese. He is also entitled to an annual allowance of €317,000 under the Presidential Establishment Act, which is not subject to external audit. 

The unspent portion of this allowance from President Higgins’s first seven-year term – €238,443 – was returned to the Exchequer.