Tánaiste calls on highly paid civil servants to forgo pension increases

Tánaiste Joan Burton has called on highly paid consultants and civil servants to forgo pension increases following controversy over rising payments as part of the unwinding of emergency financial measures.

Ms Burton said she had always been in favour of caps on public service pensions, which was why payments to Ministers on leaving office were ended by the Government.

“We’ve already suggested to the people involved, particularly those who are office holders, but to be perfectly honest the bulk of them are highly paid consultants and very highly paid civil servants,” Ms Burton said.

“Perhaps they should all pause and reflect as to whether at this point in time, given the significant size of their pension gross of over €100,000, whether they should all pause and reflect and say at this point in time I don’t particularly need it.”

Ms Burton was speaking on her way into Government Buildings on Monday. Her comments come after Taoiseach Enda Kenny last week said former senior politicians in receipt of ministerial pensions should decline an increase.

He did not specify who exactly he was speaking about when he said a “small number” of people should “refuse the increase that is coming to you”.

A group of Fine Gael TDs had raised concerns about increases in ministerial pensions due to be given to former office holders.

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin previously said he could not further reduce the pensions of former ministers and taoisigh.

He said he had sought a general application for the reduction of pensions under emergency financial measures.

“I have begun to unwind that for the lowest pension cohort but I can’t exclude anybody from that . . . it has to have general application.”