Eleven ex-ministers return part of pension

ELEVEN OUT of 121 former ministers surrendered portions of their pensions last year before the Government attempted to impose cuts on payments to previous office-holders, Department of Finance figures show.

While more than €11 million was spent on pensions, annuities and other payments to former ministerial, constitutional and judicial office holders in 2009, just over €92,000 was relinquished.

Former Labour Party minister of state Eithne Fitzgerald gave up almost €14,000 last year, and former Fianna Fáil minister Mary O’Rourke, who remains a TD, returned more than €22,000.

Retirement lump sums, “death gratuities” and pensions relating to judicial services amounted to €5,153,673.78. Pensions for widows and children of former presidents, ministers and other office holders amounted to €903,980.57.

The figure spent on the pensions of eight attorneys general was €471,049.80, while €252,766.80 was the amount allocated to cover the pensions of two former holders of the office of comptroller and auditor general.

Severance payments for former ministers and other office holders came to €288,918.74.

The figures, which related to constitutional and ministerial office holders, showed the largest pension in 2009 was to former president Mary Robinson, who returned €15,499.96 of her presidential pension, worth €154,467.56.

A total of €3,801,646.10 was spent on ministerial pensions while, of that figure, €76,812.08 was surrendered by 11 former ministers. Ms Fitzgerald, who lost her Dáil seat in 2007, surrendered €13,975.92 of a €17,303.52 ministerial pension and Mrs O’Rourke returned €22,229.29 of her €50,570.59 ministerial pension.

Among the other former ministers who gave back part of their pension were Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, who relinquished almost €5,000 of a ministerial pension worth more than €14,093. Mr Kenny served as minister for tourism and trade between 1994 and 1997 and minister of state with special responsibility for youth affairs from February 1986 until March 1987.

Mr Kenny’s party colleague Dublin MEP Gay Mitchell received a ministerial pension worth €5,485.49 and gave back €2,647.73. Jimmy Deenihan TD was paid a ministerial pension of €5,485.49 and returned €3,830.13. Former Fine Gael minister and MEP Tom O’Donnell gave back €6,476.93 of a pension worth €37,697.14.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore returned €4,299.76 of his €5,481.26 ministerial pension. He was minister of state at the department of the marine. Of Labour MEP Proinsias De Rossa’s ministerial pension worth €12,603.75, a total of €7,713.60 was returned.

Joan Burton TD received a ministerial pension worth €7,721.22 and returned €6,056.92. Liz McManus returned €3,357.17 of her €5,485.49 pension, while Pat Rabbitte gave back €1,244.81 of a €5,499.93 ministerial pension.

In June 2009, the Government announced ministerial pensions paid to serving TDs, Senators and Irish MEPs would be reduced by 25 per cent from the summer and would be abolished after the next general election. This year, most serving politicians in receipt of ministerial pensions, including former taoiseach Bertie Ahern, agreed to give them up.

In many cases their move followed the controversy that led to Ireland’s EU commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn giving up her ministerial and Dáil pensions worth €108,000 a year, although a number had voluntarily given up entitlements in 2009.

The figures published by the department last week reveal that the exact total spent on former ministerial, constitutional and judicial office holders was €11,026,503.35.

Top ten public service pensions received in 2009

1 Former president Mary Robinson €154,467.56; €15,499.96 surrendered

2 Former comptroller and auditor General PL McDonnell €126,383.40

3 Former comptroller and auditor general John Purcell €126.383.40

4 Former taoiseach Albert Reynolds €109,358.08

5 Former taoiseach Garret FitzGerald €103,926.16

6 Former taoiseach John Bruton €100,027.72

7 Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern €98,901.22

8 Former minister Dr Rory O’Hanlon €82,355.04

9 Former attorney general Rory Brady €78,794.56

10 Former tánaiste Dick Spring €76,932.70

Source: Finance Accounts 2009 – Statement 1.4 Breakdown of central fund charges in respect of annuities, pensions, etc for former constitutional, ministerial and judicial office-holders.