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InvestigatesPolitical PensionsHERE’S HOW MUCH each of the 29 TDs who won’t stand in the next election can receive in exit payments and pensions.
The Journal Investigates reveals below an estimate of how much each of those TDs could be paid in the year after the election takes place, and how much those who are not at retirement age will be eligible to earn in the future. All estimated figures are before tax.
For more on these entitlements and how we did the sums, read part one of our investigation.
The figures are calculated on potential entitlements, but there may be reasons why a former TD would not receive the totals, including being appointed by the Government to another full-time position or choosing to not draw down full amounts.
Richard Bruton • Fine Gael
Age: 71 ⚑
Years served in Oireachtas: 42 (42 years as a TD from 1982-2024; four months in Seanad from October 1981-February 1982)
Years as a Minister: 11 (Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation; Department of Education and Skills; Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment)
Pension entitlements:
* Eligible to draw pension upon retirement from Dáil in lieu of termination payments because TD was elected before April 2004.
⚑ At retirement age so immediately eligible for a pension so not able to receive exit payments.
^ TDs’ pension entitlements calculated based on average salary over entire Dáil service, as TD was elected after 2013.
Jackie Cahill • Fianna Fáil
Age: 61
Years served in Oireachtas: 8 (All as a TD from 2016-2024)
Exit payments:
Pension entitlements^:
Ciaran Cannon • Fine Gael
Age: 59
Years served in Oireachtas: 17 (13 as a TD from 2011-2024; four years in Seanad from 2007-2011)
Exit payments:
Years as a Minister of State: 6 (Department of Education and Skills; Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade)
Pension entitlements:
Simon Coveney • Fine Gael
Age: 52
Years served in Oireachtas: 23 (all as a TD from 1998-2004 and 2007-2024)
Potential exit payments*:
Years as Tánaiste: 3
Years as a Minister: 13 (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government; Department of Foreign Affairs; Department of Defence; Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment)
Pension entitlements:
Michael Creed • Fine Gael
Age: 61
Years served in Oireachtas: 30 (all as a TD from 1989-2002 and 2007-2024)
Potential exit payments*:
Years as a Minister: 4 (all in Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Pension entitlements:
Damien English • Fine Gael
Age: 46
Years served in Oireachtas: 22 (All as a TD from 2002-2024)
Potential exit payments*:
Years as a Minister of State: 9 (Department of Education and Skills; Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation; Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government; Department of Social Protection; Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment)
Pension entitlements:
Peter Fitzpatrick • Independent
Age: 62
Years served in Oireachtas: 13 (All as a TD from 2011-2024)
Exit payments:
Pension entitlements:
Charlie Flanagan • Fine Gael
Age: 67 ⚑**
Years served in Oireachtas: 32 (all as a TD from 1987-2002 and 2007-2024)
Years as a Minister: 6 (Department of Children and Youth Affairs; Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Department of Justice and Equality)
Pension entitlements:
**Will turn 68 on 1 November, 2024.
Brendan Griffin • Fine Gael
Age: 42
Years served in Oireachtas: 13 (all as a TD from 2011-2024)
Exit payments:
Years as a Minister of State: 5 (Department of An Taoiseach; Department of Tourism and Sport)
Pension entitlements:
Seán Haughey • Fianna Fáil
Age: 62**
Years served in Oireachtas: 32 (27 as a TD from 1992-2011 and 2016-2024; five years in Seanad from 1997-1992)
Potential exit payments*:
Years as a Minister of State: 5 (Department of Education and Science; Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment; Department of Education and Skills)
Pension entitlements:
** Will turn 63 on 8 November.
Brendan Howlin • Labour
Age: 68 ⚑
Years served in Oireachtas: 41 (37 years as a TD from 1987-2024; four years in Seanad from 1983-1987)
Years as a Minister: 9 (Department of Health; Department of Environment; Department of Public Expenditure and Reform)
Years as Leas-Cheann Comhairle: 3
Pension entitlements:
Heather Humphreys • Fine Gael
Age: 64
Years served in Oireachtas: 13 (all as a TD from 2011-2024)
Exit payments:
Years as a Minister: 4 (Department of Rural and Community Development; Department of Social Protection; Department of Justice)
Pension entitlements:
Paul Kehoe • Fine Gael
Age: 51
Years served in Oireachtas: 22 (All as a TD from 2002-2024)
Potential exit payments*:
Years as a Minister of State: 9 (Government Chief Whip; Department of An Taoiseach; Department of Defence)
Pension entitlements:
Marc MacSharry • Independent
Age: 51
Years served in Oireachtas: 22 (Eight as a TD from 2016-2024; 14 years in Seanad from 2002-2016)
Exit payments:
Pension entitlements:
Josepha Madigan • Fine Gael
Age: 54
Years served in Oireachtas: 8 (all as a TD from 2016-2024)
Exit payments:
Years as a Minister: 2 (all in Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht)
Years as Minister of State: 4 (all in Department of Education)
Pension entitlements^:
Joe McHugh • Independent
Age: 53
Years served in Oireachtas: 22 (17 years as a TD from 2007-2024; five years in Seanad from 2002-2007)
Potential exit payments*:
Years as a Minister: 1 (all in Department of Education and Skills) – Not eligible for pension
Years as a Minister of State: 4 (Government Chief Whip; Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht; Department of An Taoiseach; Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht; Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources)
Pension entitlements:
Imelda Munster • Sinn Féin
Age: 56
Years served in Oireachtas: 8 (All as a TD from 2016-2024)
Exit payments:
Pension entitlements^:
Catherine Murphy • Social Democrats
Age: 71 ⚑
Years served in Oireachtas: 15 (All as a TD from 2005-2007 and 2011-2024)
Pension entitlements:
Denis Naughten • Independent
Age: 51
Years served in Oireachtas: 27 (27 years as a TD from 1997-2024; six months in Seanad from January 1997-June 1997)
Potential exit payments*:
Years as a Minister: 2 (all in Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment)
Pension entitlements:
Eamon Ó Cuív • Fianna Fáil
Age: 74 ⚑
Years served in Oireachtas: 34 (32 years as a TD from 1992-2024; two years in Seanad from 1990-1992)
Years as a Minister: 9 (Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs; Department of Social Protection; Department of Defence; Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government)
Years as a Minister of State: 5 (Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands; Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development)
Pension entitlements:
Fergus O’Dowd • Fine Gael
Age: 76 ⚑
Years served in Oireachtas: 27 (22 years as a TD from 2002-2024; five years in Seanad from 1997-2002)
Years as a Minister of State: 3 (Department of Environment, Community and Local Government; Communications, Energy and Natural Resources)
Pension entitlements:
John Paul Phelan • Fine Gael
Age: 46
Years served in Oireachtas: 22 (13 years as a TD from 2011-2024; nine years in Seanad 2002-2011)
Potential exit payments*:
Years as a Minister of State: 3 (Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government)
Pension entitlements
Michael Ring • Fine Gael
Age: 70 ⚑
Years served in Oireachtas: 30 (all as a TD from 1994-2024)
Years as a Minister: 3 (all in Department of Rural and Community Development)
Years as a Minister of State: 6 (Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport; Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs)
Pension entitlements:
Eamon Ryan • Green Party
Age: 61
Years served in Oireachtas: 17 (all as a TD from 2002-2011 and 2016-2024)
Potential exit payments*:
Years as a Minister: 8 (Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources; Department of Environment, Climate and Communications; Department of Transport)
Pension entitlements:
Seán Sherlock • Labour
Age: 51
Years served in Oireachtas: 17 (all as a TD from 2007-2024)
Exit payments:
Years as a Minister of State: 5 (Department of Education and Skills; Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation; Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade)
Pension entitlements:
Róisín Shortall • Social Democrats
Age: 70 ⚑
Years served in Oireachtas: 32 (all as a TD from 1992-2024)
Years as a Minister: 1 (all in Department of Health) – Not eligible for pension
Pension entitlements:
Bríd Smith • People Before Profit
Age: 63
Years served in Oireachtas: 8 (All as a TD from 2016-2024)
Exit payments:
Pension entitlements^:
David Stanton • Fine Gael
Age: 67 ⚑
Years served in Oireachtas: 27 (all as a TD from 1997-2024)
Years as a Minister of State: 4 (all in Department of Justice and Equality)
Pension entitlements:
Leo Varadkar • Fine Gael
Age: 45
Years served in Oireachtas: 17 (all as a TD from 2007-2024)
Exit payments:
Years as Taoiseach: 5
Years as Tánaiste: 2
Years as a Minister: 11 (Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport; Department of Health; Department of Social Protection; Department of Defence; Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment)
Pension entitlements:
Reporter: Stephen McDermott • Editor: Maria Delaney • Main Image Design: Lorcan O’Reilly • Social Media: Sadbh Cox • Graphics: Maria Delaney & Nicky Ryan
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What’s the bets that you will not be entitled to claim if you haven’t paid the household charge/property tax/soul tax/breathing tax etc
Doing up your house will increase the value. If you claim tax relief on the work revenue will know and up gos your property tax
Welcome to USSR of Ireland
“In Soviet Dublin… government rides you.”
If they know you’ve done some work on your house maybe an attic conversion or an extension to your house and you look for a tax break of said work done, they will have it on the record and you will be charged more property tax for work done to your house, more rooms = more tax.
Good point john
It’s a conspiracy!!!
Yes I’d be very careful of letting the council know of any improvements. In the States you’ve got to get a permit to do any renovation work and as soon as it’s signed off you’re re-assessed for property tax. Better get it done off the books – there’s more chance you’ll only be paying for the new kitchen or whatever it is once and not for the rest of your days living there.
And when you sell you house, you’ll make a massive profit to offset the extra property tax you’ll have paid over the years
Paul, remember that Property taxes in Ireland are not raised on the value of your home but on the value of the area, ie the value of services and amenities in the area. – So improving your home shouldn’t affect that.
The more your property is worth the more you pay.
Eoghan you should read the information available from the revenue commissioners then, because they seem to be at odds with you.
That wouldn’t make sense. If a shop was planned to be built in your area it would be a pain because it would increase your property tax. John is correct, its based on the value of your home.
Folks have a look at the Local Property Tax which revenue released months ago.
It’s provides an approximate value of homes based on location.
While the guide is 100% accurate for properties about 1million value. Value is self assessed and Revenue has stated that if your house is within the band that they predict for your area, and it’s clearly not an outlier on either side you won’t be double checked.
My friend is an excellent tradesman, his work is consistent. However he always offers two prices cash or vat this won’t change.
Norman
The friends you keep says as much about you as it does about them. There are no surprises with your declaration !
Richie, diddums.
You assume I care what a troll thinks, now back under your bridge with the rest of the vermin.
The Friends you keep rodgers is far more worrying.
They are more underhanded and sleveen than anyone else.
Norman
You don’t see to mind befriending those who thieve from the State which de facto includes your neighbours and family and then you simply accuse me of being a troll as you walk away. What kind of moral compass do you have mana.
Mr Clinton
I presume your attack on my hostility towards tax evasion is something over which you have a disagreement! I though the very idea of putting your ones hand in a neighbours pocket would be horrifying to you. Am I wrong?
rodgers.
It galls me to even engage you but what about the government spending taxpayers money on a personal goal of a referendum and when they used taxpayers money illegal manner plus an illegal vrt charge !!.
When those payments are returned to the exchequer then and only then can you and your buddies climb onto that soap box.
Until then your nothing but an empty vessel .
Pot kettle black = much.
Richie no accusation, you are a troll an opinion expressed by many commentators on this site.Now as I said back with the rest of the vermin where you belong.
Richie *thought* not though.
I rather have my neighbours hand in my pocket…. Than a worthless governments BOTH hands in them…
Richard the Blue Shirt is a govt/FG/Labour defending troll of the highest order and is completely blind as to other people’s views. If people contradict him, he gets abusive. If people post contrary to his views, he gets abusive. He accused the Journal of dishonest journalism pre-budget for their article breaking the story on the Bereavement Grant abolition. Not even the Journal themselves are safe.
A couple of weeks ago Ritchie was extolling the virtues of Michael Lowry – need I, nor anyone else, say anymore?
Mr Clinton
If my memory serves me and it certainly does on occasion…I recall the Referendum proposal being part of the Fine Gael Manifesto in the last Election and then agreed between the Parties as. A part of the Programme for Government afterwards. What part of that truth would you still attempt to deny Mr Clinton.
If the Referendum had not been held you are also the type of individual who would call the Taoiseach a liar for not honouring his undertakings.
Where does the truth lie with you Mr Clinton.
Lucinda
Listen pet…you can accuse me of anything you want but please don’t ever associate that sleeves Tipperary politician with me or suggest that I have ever in my life had anything of a positive nature to say about the man.
OK Richie
http://www.thejournal.ie/michael-lowry-investigation-dropped-1102174-Sep2013/
So that wasn’t you commenting?
Lucinda, the poor fool forgets all his comments are still up on the net ,if one knows where to look.
rodgers.
Now would that be the same crowd that stood up and declared “not another red cent,it’s immoral to tax a persons home, labours way or frankfourt’s way” to name but a few.
So to get back to my question. When are the funds going to be replaced to the exchequer.
A personal cheque will do and the taxpayer will come to an agreement . Otherwise your party and their homes will be at risk.
Lucinda.
His/her/it’s memory seems to be a wee bit selective.
Lucinda
You seem to have access to some faculties but truth is not one of them. In your original accusation against me you stated quite deliberately that I was recently posting on the Journal in a manner that “extolled the virtues” on the said Mr Lowry.
Having provided what you claim is the evidence in a somewhat triumphant manner it appears that nowhere in the question I asked on the subject of the said Public Representative did I say anything of a positive nature. Indeed it is not in my nature to be hostile to any individual but I make an exception in the case of Mr Lowry.
Could you now behave like a lady and both correct the record in the matter while apologising for the false accusation.
Mike/Norman
Perhaps gentlemen instead of accusing me of being amnesiac and referring to me a as afoot you can take the same advice I have given Lucinda on the subject and eat a little it of humble pie.
Oops ….please forgive me for thinking that there is one scintilla of decency in the pair of you. I shallow course understand if you are incapable of expressing any regret at false accusations.
Richie did the bad Lady upset the poor little troll? Ha ha ha .Deal with it.
Richie is getting flustered methinks. He’s all afoot and shallow, Norman.
Tell me rodgers.When is kenny and his spineless crowd going to pay that money back to the exchequer.
If any other person misused funds like that they would be placed in a top banking job .
Lucinda
Truth and decency escape you! I wouldn’t expect anything else from the other pair but now we have another in the camp.
He/she/it like it’s divine god will use anything and any method to distract us from the questions asked .
Much like the spineless shower that pays it’s wages.
Richie
Talking about eating humble pie is a bit contradictory coming from you. I’d say you are calorifically challenged having to eat all of it that comes your way.
Speaking of which, I see you conveniently side stepped the point I raised in relation to your comments on bereavement grant?
“Truth and decency escape you”.
Coming from a profile that revels in intellectual insults and making fun out of lesser educated people..
My goodness rodgers, you really are some piece of kit aren’t you.
It’ll only help if the cowboy {cash in hand} tradespeople don’t take account of this new measure and undercut the legitimate tradespeople prices by 15 or 20% to compensate for it.
Of course, black market being more highly adaptable by its very nature, will do exactly that.
Cheap start expensive finish.
I assume that maybe receipts/invoices will have to be shown to prove the amount spent! But then who knows, like all other similiar grant or money back schemes (SEAI comes to mind) they will make it really not worth the effort!!
Cheap start, expensive finish…..Sounds like a day at the Galway Races with Bertie the Bagman and co….and every other day since for the ‘ordinary punter’!!
All I could afford was a new letterbox, hoping to get 13.5% back………
As Im doing the work myself it doesnt count. Dont need to pay €30 an hour to a lad to hang a door. Sooner hire a friend on a nixer. Cynical attempt to make money for builders.
Will i be able to claim it on all my houses or just the one I live in?
What good is it if people cannot get money from our banks ????
Andy, nobody is encouraging you to borrow money. In fact if anything has been learned in the last few years, I hope it is: If you don’t have money don’t borrow to spend on houses. – This incentive helps people who have money and have an ability to borrow to improve their home, create jobs, and reduce the need for new builds.
You are supposed to dip into this tremendous “cash pile” that all oldies are sitting on, which is the rationale for the increase in DIRT to 41%.
Enough people have the money at hand to pay for a lot of renovations to their homes. Enough to give the construction industry a good boost. An extra 50k people doing renovations would make the difference.
People forget that there is still a lot of money in this country.
The day you apply for a government grant is the day you sell your soul. I prefer to do as much work as I can manage by myself because watching some of the ‘tradesmen’ in action makes me want to cry and hug a hot-water bottle and I’m a full grown man ;-)
Another stupid badly thought government idea..
Why not have this home improvement incentive for jobs that would cost 500euro?
So say I could afford to splash out 5k euro on home improvements this year. So I decide to get the whole house painted from top to bottom, inside and out, this is whats it going to come to..
If a job is going to cost 4.5k the builder or whatever will say sure ill round it up to 5k euro and sure you will get 675 back on the tax..
I would imagine alot of work can be done for 4500(incl tax), but now it will be invoiced for 5000…
All this will do is artificially raise the price for home improvement works beyond what the average person had already saved… I know there is a few honest trade men out there, but there will be alot more who will take advantage of this.
oh yeah I suppose this will trigger the banks to sell “home improvement” loans at an interest close to, if not more that the tax refund rate off the back of this to contribute towards the bank levy..
As usual the government for our country finds sneaky ways of kicking you were it hurts. Id would love to know how these decisions are made and who they get advise from cause I cant trust this government to run a car wash anymore.
That just shows a lack of understanding of tax collection. If a tradesman ups his bill they have to pay extra tax on it. So do you think they are going to want to pay more tax?
They may well pay extra tax but will still pocket a handy few bob.
Never trust a cowboy in government !!
No because if I get the attic done or an extension the valve of my house goes up an so the property tax with it…. Il pass on giving more tax to bondholders …. Good try FG but not good enough…
I would steet clear of registering home improvement. Maybe small items would be ok.
I make it my business to buy as little as possible in this state
So why do you live here?
Irish tradesmen badly need to tidy up their act if they want to get work. In my experience, compared to east Europeans, I generally find them unpunctual, unreliable, noncommunicative ( not keeping customer informed if plans change or late turning up to work for any reason), taking longer to get jobs done and overpriced!
Haha what a con job. Improve your house so you will be charged more on local property tax!!
Simply can’t afford it so sadly I won’t be able to avail of this scheme.
Will they be monitoring these improvements to prevent things like pyrite or any other deficiencies occurring on the build or will that be something we will have to pay for again in a budget 10 years down the line
I have already upgraded the gas boiler and insulation in my home a few years ago,and am now reaping the benifits, with much lower heating bills,next up a new solar panel,highly recommended.
Most contractors are only too happy to not charge the VAT (13.5%) for payment in cash. This is better for the customer than having to claim it back over 2 years. The new scheme only applies to work costing over €5000. The incentive at 13.5% is too low. It should have been pitched at 20% minimum and all reclaimable in the first year.
Wasn’t this article posted earlier today ?
Yes it was, but look we got troll extraordinaire Richie Rodgers to comment this time.Wahey!
Got an extension built this year. The builder dropped the price by 5k if I paid cash, same as roofer and electrician
Absolutely… This is why a scheme like this is nothing other than a waste of time… Getting a rebate of 13.5% is of no benefit when the builder will give generally 20% or more for cash.
There is a new system supposed to come next year where you will by law have to employ a main contractor to build a house (no more self-builders doing their own work) so I’d imagine that’s just a taster for the building permits etc which are coming down the line to force more disclosure – it should tighten up on [potential] tax evasion by tradesmen but will unfortunately only end up with joe public bearing the cost and brunt of yet another poorly planned and implemented “initiative” from this joke of a government.
have your say