Department pays #1.8m in pensions to politicians

The Former Taoiseach Mr Charles J

The Former Taoiseach Mr Charles J. Haughey last year received a State pension of £55,304, according to the latest pension list released by the Department of Finance last night.

Meanwhile, the disgraced former Minister for Justice Mr Ray Burke received a £28,574 pension, despite the findings of corruption against him by the Flood tribunal.

Former president Mr Patrick J. Hillery received £77,239 for his time in Áras an Úachtaráin, in addition to a £22,239 pension for his time as a member of the cabinet.

Former leader of the Labour Party Mr Ruairí Quinn, who is still a serving TD for Dublin South East, received a £17,393 pension for his time in ministerial office during the 1980s and 1990s.

His predecessor as Labour leader, Mr Dick Spring, who failed to get re-elected in the May general election, received £25,701 for ministerial service between 1982/1987 and 1992/1997.

Former Fine Gael leader Mr Michael Noonan received £16,459 in 2001, in addition to his salary as a deputy for Limerick East, while former Taoiseach Mr Albert Reynolds received £54,557.

Barrister Mr Harry Whelehan, who was briefly president of the High Court in 1994 until he resigned during the Brendan Smyth crisis, received £22,348 for his time as attorney general.

Two other former attorneys general, Mr Dermot Gleeson and Mr David Byrne, received £12,463 and £11,160 respectively. Mr Byrne is now Ireland's EU Commissioner.

Former Progressive Democrat leader Mr Desmond O'Malley, who has retired from politics, received a pension of £28,544 during 2001 for his ministerial career. Former Taoiseach Mr John Bruton received a £38,132 pension. He is still a TD for Meath and is one of the Dáil's delegates to the EU's Convention on the Future of Europe.

Former minister and EU commissioner Mr Padraig Flynn received £25,931 in 2001, while a colleague of the time, Mr Ray MacSharry received a pension of £20,945. Former minister for justice Ms Maire Geoghegan-Quinn, who is now serving as Ireland's representative on the European Union's Court of Auditors, received a £24,284 pension.

Former Fine Gael minister for foreign affairs Mr Peter Barry received £32,601 last year, while Mr Alan Dukes, who was defeated in the general election, received £20,774.

A predecessor in the Department of Justice, Mr Sean Doherty, who was minister for justice during the 1982 telephone tapping scandal, received a £11,097 pension. He retired from the Dáil in May this year.

In all, £1.8 million was paid in pensions to former office-holders in 2001. Besides ministers, the payments are made to ministers of state, attorneys general and to those who served as ceann comhairle, or leas-cheann comhairle, or cathaoirleach or leas-chathaoirleach of the Seanad, and to former comptrollers and auditors general.

In addition to the pension fund, the Department of Finance also paid severance amounts to Mr David Andrews (£25,028), and two former ministers of state, Mr Chris Flood (£11,216) and Mr Ned O'Keeffe (£15,839). When ministers and ministers of state leave office they are entitled to an initial allowance of 75 per cent of their salary, which declines to zero over two years.

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Mark Hennessy

Mark Hennessy

Mark Hennessy is Ireland and Britain Editor with The Irish Times