Fianna Fáil MEP Liam Aylward announced today he is to surrender his ministerial pension of €12,261.
Mr Aylward (57) is a former junior minister at the Department of Education and the Department of Forestry. The Kilkenny-based MEP also receives an Oireachtas pension of €52,213.
He has written to the Minister for Finance requesting that he halt the payments.
Two TDs and one MEP from the party have yet to indicate an intention to give up their pensions immediately.
They are: Donegal North East TD Jim McDaid; Galway East TD Noel Treacy; and MEP Pat “the Cope” Gallagher from Donegal.
Mr Treacy and Mr Gallagher have said they will spend some time reflecting on the situation before arriving at a decision.
Dr McDaid indicated yesterday that he has decided to retain his pension so that he could make a political point on the issue.
Yesterday, Senator Terry Leyden became the 18th serving politician to give up their pension. He announced in the morning that he would no longer receive his pension, worth €21,761.
Earlier, another former Fianna Fáil minister Michael Woods said he was also forgoing his pension worth €33,343, according to provisional 2009 figures.
Dr McDaid, who receives a pension of €22,487 in addition to his Dáil salary of €98,424, said last night that he accepted there was not a strong argument for former ministers to retain their pensions because of the present economic situation. “I have taken this position because I feel very strongly that the dilution of pensions and rights will drive good people from entering politics . . . I know my point is not a popular one and will draw vitriol. But I feel it must be made.”
Mr Treacy said he would consult “my wife, my family and my bank manager” before arriving at a decision. Mr Treacy, who is in receipt of a pension of €24,007, said he would take a week to reflect on it.
Earlier, Fianna Fáil Senator Terry Leyden said he would give up the €21,761 annual pension he was entitled to receive for serving as a minister of state for six years.
Mr Gallagher, MEP for Ireland North West, said that he was not going to be forced into making a “knee-jerk” reaction but would spend the weekend reflecting on the situation. He is in receipt of a ministerial pension worth €23,634 and an Oireachtas pension worth in excess of €40,000.
Others MEPs still drawing Oireachtas pensions are Jim Higgins of Fine Gael, whose yearly pension is worth €53,780 on top of his MEP’s salary of €91,984. He has forgone his ministerial pension of €5,952.
Socialist MEP Joe Higgins got €23,400 in 2008. He said he has retained the pension but donated the income to different causes.