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Margaret Heneghan Leon Farrell/Rollingnews.ie

High Court judge steps down after just two years in the job

It is unusual for a judge in the High Court to leave their role until they reach mandatory retirement age.

HIGH COURT JUDGE Margaret Heneghan has stepped down from her role, after just over two years in the job.

It is understood that she will not receive a full pension as she has not reached the mandatory retirement age of 70 in the profession.

First reported in the Irish Times this morning, Heneghan will only be entitled to around a quarter of the judicial pension.

A large proportion of High Court judges would usually serve until they reach retirement age, but Heneghan steps down from her role at the age of 58.

She is married to businessman Austin Power who, along with his brother Robert, founded the home care company Comfort Keepers in 2005. That business, with a turnover in the tens of millions of euro, was then sold to French company Sodexo in 2015.

As is custom, Heneghan was required to provide notice of her departure to President Michael D Higgins.

She was sworn in to her role as High Court judge by President Higgins in February 2015.

Called to the bar in 1993, Heneghan was a member of the Legal Aid Board from January 2009 to January 2010.

From there, she was appointed a judge to the Circuit Court at the beginning of the decade, and was assigned to Dublin Circuit in April 2011.

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    Mute Casper
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:05 AM

    Wealthy high court judge doesn’t need a pension

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    Mute Stephen Cumbers
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:09 AM

    @Casper: as a public servant she is required by law to pay into a pension scheme. It’s not a question of whether she needs one or not.

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    Mute P.J. Nolan
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:10 AM

    @Casper: .
    I suspect herself and her husband have paid far more in tax than they will ever receive now in a pension.

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    Mute Casper
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:15 AM

    @Casper: she maybe a wealthy high court judge but she is still entitled get some of the pension after all she did pay into it.

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    Mute Towger
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:53 AM

    @Stephen Cumbers: It is pity Joe Private Sector can not pay into a pension with the same rate of return.

    47
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    Mute Gary
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:56 AM

    @Casper: Are you arguing with yourself or did you forget to post from your “other” account?

    48
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    Mute Casper
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    Oct 4th 2017, 11:04 AM

    @Gary: just clarifying my position I wouldn’t want any one thinking this lady judge shouldn’t get a pension because she is probably rich already, she has paid into a pension pot so she should get some return on it regardless of how wealthy she is already, have a nice day Gary

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    Mute Fred Coloe
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    Oct 4th 2017, 11:37 AM

    @Stephen Cumbers: True. But how much? Is it anything close to what a private citizen would have to pay for a pension of the same value? I think not.

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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Oct 4th 2017, 12:51 PM

    @Casper: hmmmm

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    Mute Casper
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    Oct 4th 2017, 1:02 PM

    @Dave O Keeffe: hmmmm

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    Mute Gary
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    Oct 4th 2017, 1:46 PM

    @Casper: Have a nice day the both of you.

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    Mute Casper
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    Oct 4th 2017, 3:41 PM

    @Gary: lol thanks Gary

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    Mute Nick Allen
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:06 AM

    Wow, a 58 year old took early retirement and didn’t get her full pension. So glad I read the journal today to discover this

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    Mute Kal Ipers
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:45 AM

    @Nick Allen: Not the story. She quit from a job after 2 years when she was expected to work for another 12.
    The selection process is tough and the people are expected to stay. She was given a great highly respected job and quit.

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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Oct 4th 2017, 11:26 AM

    @Kal Ipers: who knows what’s going on in her private life that she felt she could not do the job to a high standard as is expected. I am sure when accepted the job she did not think she would be retiring early.

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    Mute David Huston
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    Oct 4th 2017, 11:26 AM

    It great she had an option, Unlike proposals to make real workers stay working till 70+.

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    Mute Matt Connolly
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    Oct 4th 2017, 11:42 AM

    @Nick Allen: Far from the cushiest job in the world. Aside from the obvious issues they have to sift through, their private life is very much dictated by their role. Typically they can only really socialise with close family and other judges, for fear of breaching the rules on bias in any future case.

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    Mute Kal Ipers
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    Oct 4th 2017, 11:51 AM

    @Deborah Behan: Who knows about her personal life but unless she states a reason for quiting then take it as it is.
    The same way you can’t say you are sure what her intentions were when taking the job.
    Given the actual detail she quit from a position she would be fully aware she was expected to do till 70.

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    Mute nick mullen
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    Oct 5th 2017, 1:59 AM

    @Nick Allen: don’t worry she won’t be begging with her mc Donald’s cup in henry street

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    Mute TellingItAsItIs
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:02 AM

    Stir it up there Journal. It’s all about the pension eh? Click bait.

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    Mute Peter
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:13 AM

    @TellingItAsItIs: The Pension isn’t mentioned in the heading.

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    Mute TellingItAsItIs
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:17 AM

    @Peter: It’s mentioned in the second sentence…the third sentence etc. It’s glaringly obvious what the scheme is here.

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    Mute Stephen murphy
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:25 AM

    @TellingItAsItIs: A judge retires early, that is what happened isn’t it?

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    Mute TellingItAsItIs
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:31 AM

    @Stephen murphy: That’s not important Stephen. The pension is the story ;-). It’s all done with the poor/lazy modern day journalistic style of smoke and mirrors.

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    Mute David Cowhig
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    Oct 4th 2017, 11:05 AM

    Her husbands name is Austin Power! Great name

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    Mute Larry Doyle
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    Oct 4th 2017, 11:14 AM

    @David Cowhig: Is he related to Max?

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    Mute Matt Connolly
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    Oct 4th 2017, 11:40 AM

    @Larry Doyle: oh behave

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    Mute nick mullen
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    Oct 5th 2017, 2:01 AM

    @David Cowhig: bionic man

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    Mute Anthony Gallagher
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    Oct 4th 2017, 11:10 AM

    SO what ,just because your a high court judge,doesnt mean you have to wear a strait jacket ,maybe she has realized life is short .

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    Mute Tom Molloy
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    Oct 4th 2017, 2:47 PM

    @Anthony Gallagher: The now Communist Irish state take half of it in tax anyway.

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    Mute Tom Molloy
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:04 AM

    The media needs to support people who take up public roles more.

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    Mute Paul Fahey
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:07 AM

    @Tom Molloy: says man who castigates politicians publicly if they dare have a liberal position on abortion or any other matter of interest to the church.

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    Mute Fred Coloe
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    Oct 4th 2017, 11:39 AM

    @Tom Molloy: WHY? Surely the role of the media is to hold public figures to account in a fair, unbiased fashion!

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    Mute Tom Molloy
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    Oct 4th 2017, 1:50 PM

    @Fred Coloe: “fair, unbiased fashion” Not much of that lately.

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    Mute gerry fallon
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    Oct 4th 2017, 12:12 PM

    She’s right.go and enjoy life.

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    Mute Gareth Cooney
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    Oct 4th 2017, 12:55 PM

    This article is nonsense it is concerned only about how much the lady is entitled to as a pension. Strategically written to provoke debate and begrudgery. Why not mention some of the cases she was presided over or some controversial cases. It always trying to create a bun fight between the left and right.
    Tut tut journal, not falling for this one…..!!

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    Mute Tony Shaw
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    Oct 4th 2017, 1:47 PM

    Actually she was 8 years a judge, 6 in the circuit court and 2 in the High Court and she gets 1/4 pension for the 8 years.
    Irish courts have the lowest amount of judges per capita in the 31 country OECD. It’s time the government and Ross woke up and realised the High Court is a tough job with no thanks. I suspect more will follow her lead. Tony BL

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    Mute John Flood
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    Oct 4th 2017, 12:58 PM

    Trivial piece of news….

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    Mute Noel
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:02 PM

    She’s perfectly untitled to retire after all she has a very wealthy family if I won lotto I would retire also hope she enjoys retirement!

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