Rebelred
29-09-2008, 09:18 AM
http://www.irishexaminer.co m/irishexaminer/pages/story.aspx-qqqg=ireland-qqqm=ireland-qqqa=ireland-qqqid=73457-qqqx=1.asp
Golden handouts ease TDs’ pain of losing seats
By Mary Regan, Political Reporter
ELECTION losers got payoffs amounting to almost €3 million to help them back on their feet after failing to keep Dáil and Seanad seats at last year’s polls, it has been revealed.
More than 54 former members of the Oireachtas were entitled to the termination payments including lump sums and monthly wages after retiring or being rejected by voters.
Former Progressive Democrats TD Liz O’Donnell — who has since been involved in TV presenting — was paid almost €85,000 or more than twice the annual industrial wage in the year after losing her seat.
This included an untaxed lump sum of €17,430 and taxable payments of €6,633 a month for half a year and payments of €4,527 for a further six months.
Former justice minister, Michael McDowell (PD), who has been working as a high-ranking barrister since losing his Dáil seat, got a lump sum payment of €16,580 last May and payments of €6,340 a month over the course of three months. These payments are on top of the ministerial pensions which range from €50,000 to €146,000 per year. The general pension for TDs and senators kicks in after their termination payments cease.
Former junior education minister Síle De Valera was paid €80,237, according to the figures released to the Irish Examiner under Freedom of Information legislation.
The termination payments were agreed by Oireachtas members in 1992 under Bertie Ahern as finance minister.
Former Socialist party TD, Joe Higgins, was paid a lump sum of €16,079 last May and monthly payments amounting to €44,949. He said he continues the same as he did when he was a TD by living on the average industrial wage and giving the remainder over to his party.
Golden handouts ease TDs’ pain of losing seats
By Mary Regan, Political Reporter
ELECTION losers got payoffs amounting to almost €3 million to help them back on their feet after failing to keep Dáil and Seanad seats at last year’s polls, it has been revealed.
More than 54 former members of the Oireachtas were entitled to the termination payments including lump sums and monthly wages after retiring or being rejected by voters.
Former Progressive Democrats TD Liz O’Donnell — who has since been involved in TV presenting — was paid almost €85,000 or more than twice the annual industrial wage in the year after losing her seat.
This included an untaxed lump sum of €17,430 and taxable payments of €6,633 a month for half a year and payments of €4,527 for a further six months.
Former justice minister, Michael McDowell (PD), who has been working as a high-ranking barrister since losing his Dáil seat, got a lump sum payment of €16,580 last May and payments of €6,340 a month over the course of three months. These payments are on top of the ministerial pensions which range from €50,000 to €146,000 per year. The general pension for TDs and senators kicks in after their termination payments cease.
Former junior education minister Síle De Valera was paid €80,237, according to the figures released to the Irish Examiner under Freedom of Information legislation.
The termination payments were agreed by Oireachtas members in 1992 under Bertie Ahern as finance minister.
Former Socialist party TD, Joe Higgins, was paid a lump sum of €16,079 last May and monthly payments amounting to €44,949. He said he continues the same as he did when he was a TD by living on the average industrial wage and giving the remainder over to his party.