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OVER €4.1 MILLION was paid in pensions to former ministers last year, according to figures from the Department of Finance.
The figures reveal that a number of former ministers surrendered all or part of their pension in 2011 with a total of €178,678.73 handed back to the Exchequer, which is around 4 per cent of the total amount paid out.
Most former ministers kept their pension payments.
Former tánaiste and justice minister Michael McDowell received the biggest pension payment last year getting a total of €173,683.48 but this included an underpayment of €142,877 in respect of 2011 and previous years.
Most current government ministers who have held ministerial posts in previous governments and received a pension for it surrendered these payments last year.
However Finance Minister Michael Noonan did not give up the €5,571.82 he received in 2011. He was held the justice, health and industry portfolios in previous Fine Gael administrations.
Those who surrendered their pensions include Jobs Minister Richard Bruton (€1,926.60), Social Protection Minister Joan Burton (€1,123.42), Arts Minister Jimmy Deenihan (€798.12), and Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte (€800.23).
Tánaiste Éamon Gilmore (€797.49) and Taoiseach Enda Kenny (€2,050.51) also surrendered their pensions last year.
Some former ministers surrendered part of their pension earnings, these included former taoiseach Bertie Ahern who gave up €14,618.18 of his €83,341.82 gross pension payment.
His fellow former Fianna Fáil minister Michael Woods gave up €4,168.86 of his €64,163.30 pension payment last year while former European commissioner Marie Geoghegan- Quinn handed back her entire €59,895.71 pension in 2011.
President Michael D Higgins also surrendered €6,611.68 last year despite only receiving €5,952.70 in pension payments. His former presidential rival and current Fine Gael MEP Gay Mitchell surrendered his entire €4,611.36 ministerial pension in 2011.
Mitchell’s European colleague, Labour MEP Pronsias de Rossa, also surrendered his entire €10,595.26 pension.
Former taoiseach Albert Reynolds (€99,681.75) and former tánaiste Dick Spring (€71,061.75) were among those who did not surrender their pensions last year as was the case for former EU commissioner Padraig Flynn (€47,848.09).
Former Fianna Fáil minister Ivor Callely surrendered the lowest amount, handing back €258.06 of his €11,620.61 pension last year.
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Great article, great respect for this man, fantastic doctor. Will definitely be reading his book!
Amazing Doctor –
A decent and honorable man. Stood as a rock of common sense against waves of bile. I suppose the trolls will be out for another nibble.
Amazing Doctor –
Another Doctor who thinks he is God.
@Liam Mernagh: A Doctor who doesnt let religion get in the way of medical practice more like.
@Liam Mernagh: Ok? Scientific evidence of your God in references please?
@Martin O’Reilly: Do you know how to make a motor car?
@Alan Dillon: Our civilisation in the main and our laws in general are based on the Christian concepts and ethos but I can understand that egotistical people might not want to bow the knee to a superior being.
@Liam Mernagh: Yes as a mechanical engineer, methinks I’d be up for it!
@Liam Mernagh: Now for your references, without further ado!
@Martin O’Reilly: good, then you will understand that if a car has to be designed and parts designed and manufactured and then assembled in the correct fashion and adjusted a nd commissioned, you should be able to see how facile it is to think the universe happened by accident. Just look around yourself any day at the beautiful world and the seasons and say to yourself “What an accident “
@Martin O’Reilly: when you get up in the morning take a look; open your eyes and take a good look at the beautiful world around you and the sho me your evidence for the accident.
Oh you’ve been attending him so – have you
@Liam Mernagh: please stop rolling along with you pretentious pious claptrap. I am beginning to realise here that is hard to talk , chat to the converted. All I have questioned on is scientific DNA of your God or any of his so called fellow travelers dna being detected by Isotopic tests etc. Once and for all answer the question being put to you!
@Martin O’Reilly: you show me your evidence to the contrary and desist from being abusive. If you feel that you have all the answers then that’s fine for you but it certainly takes a hell of an ego.
The North West of Ireland is in the debt of Peter Boylan, he came to Leitrim and Donegal and Longford and stood for what he believed in, that meant a lot to campaigners here and we will never forget what he did and the abuse he took from anti choice people, you should hear how they hissed whenever Savita was mentioned. That woman died, no matter how they felt she died, that is the most disrespectful way to treat someone who had their young life cut short.
It’s funny how the Gov couldn’t find the money for free contraception but can fund abortion. It’s a bit backwards
@Joe Mc: Only if you think, like many of the people opposed to repealing the 8th, that abortion is in some way to be invoked solely as a means of contraception. It’s really quite a lazy position to take, but is generally in keeping with the church’s general distrust of women.
A courageous gentleman who put the needs of his patients first. Thankfully religious contamination of medicine is ending
Any word from the Vatican yet on the Hospital site at least with Peter you get the Facts
Going to buy the book
Great man! Not forgetting Dr. Noel Browne either!
Great respect for Peter Boylan
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