Investigates Golden handshakesTHE COST OF paying outgoing TDs could rise by an additional €1.3 million over the next 12 months following the failure of sitting politicians to be re-elected to the 34th Dáil.
The Journal Investigates previously revealed that 31 TDs, who announced before the election that they would not stand again, could be paid a cumulative €3.9 million in exit payments and pension costs in the 12 months after the Dáil was dissolved.
However, that figure is set to increase after 26 TDs lost their seats in the general election.
All but one of those TDs are in line for tens of thousands in exit payments, which are paid to politicians in recognition of the precarious nature of their work and in order to provide them with financial support as they transition to alternative forms of employment.
The other TD, Bernard Durkan, has reached retirement age, and is automatically eligible to claim his pension and an up-front lump sum, so is not eligible to receive exit payments.
The value of exit payments and the number of them that TDs receive in the year after an election depends on how many years the individual TD has served in the Dáil.
TDs who are eligible for exit payments and who have served for more than six months can also receive an up-front lump sum worth two months’ of the salary they were paid when the election was called.
Any of the departing TDs who becomes a senator or is appointed by the Government to another full-time position will not be eligible for exit payments, and will be required to repay any exit payments they receive between now and their appointment.
Below is a list of how much the 26 TDs could get in exit payments, pensions and possible future pensions if they don’t become a TD or Minister again in the future.
For more on these entitlements and how we did the sums, read our initial 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.
(All of our figures in this article are before tax and our calculations are rounded to the nearest whole number.)
Chris Andrews • Sinn Féin
Age: 60
Years served in Oireachtas: 8 (all as a TD from 2007 to 2011 and 2020 to 2024)
Exit payments:
Pension entitlements:
Mick Barry • Solidarity
Age: 60
Years served in Oireachtas: 8 (all as a TD from 2016 to 2024)
Exit payments:
Pension entitlements:
Cathal Berry • Independent
Age: 46
Years served in Oireachtas: 4 (all as a TD from 2020 to 2024)
Exit payments:
Pension entitlements:
Martin Browne • Sinn Féin
Years served in Oireachtas: 4 (all as a TD from 2020 to 2024)
Exit payments:
Pension entitlements:
Joan Collins • Independents 4 Change
Age: 63
Years served in Oireachtas: 13 (all as a TD from 2011 to 2024)
Exit payments:
Pension entitlements:
Patrick Costello • Green Party
Age: 44
Years served in Oireachtas: 4 (all as a TD from 2020 to 2024)
Exit payments:
Pension entitlements:
Stephen Donnelly • Fianna Fáil
Age: 48
Years served in Oireachtas: 13 (all as a TD from 2011 to 2024)
Years as a Minister: 4 (All in Department of Health)
Exit payments:
Pension entitlements:
Francis Noel Duffy • Green Party
Age: 53
Years served in Oireachtas: 4 (all as a TD from 2020 to 2024)
Exit payments:
Pension entitlements:
Bernard Durkan • Fine Gael
Age: 79
Years served in Oireachtas: 42 (as a TD from 1981 to 2024; also served in the Seanad May 1982 to November 1982)
Years as a Minister for State: 3 (Department of Social Protection)
Pension entitlements:
Alan Farrell • Fine Gael
Age: 46
Years served in Oireachtas: 13 (all as a TD from 2011 to 2024)
Exit payments:
Pension entitlements:
Joe Flaherty • Fianna Fáil
Years served in Oireachtas: 4 (all as a TD from 2020 to 2024)
Exit payments:
Pension entitlements:
Neasa Hourigan • Green Party
Age: 44
Years served in Oireachtas: 4 (all as a TD from 2020 to 2024)
Exit payments:
Pension entitlements:
Gino Kenny • People Before Profit
Age: 52
Years served in Oireachtas: 8 (all as a TD from 2016 to 2024)
Exit payments:
Pension entitlements:
Brian Leddin • Green Party
Years served in Oireachtas: 4 (all as a TD from 2020 to 2024)
Exit payments:
Pension entitlements:
Catherine Martin • Green Party
Age: 52
Years served in Oireachtas: 8 (all as a TD from 2016 to 2024)
Years as a Minister: 4 (All in Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media)
Exit payments:
Pension entitlements:
Steven Matthews • Green Party
Years served in Oireachtas: 4 (all as a TD from 2020 to 2024)
Exit payments:
Pension entitlements:
Malcolm Noonan • Green Party
Age: 58
Years served in Oireachtas: 4 (all as a TD from 2020 to 2024)
Years as Minister of State: 4 (all in Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage)
Exit payments:
Pension entitlements:
Joe O’Brien • Green Party
Years served in Oireachtas: 4 (all as a TD from 2020 to 2024)
Years as Minister of State: 4 (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Department of Social Protection, Department of Rural and Community Development)
Exit payments:
Pension entitlements:
Marc Ó Cathasaigh • Green Party
Age: 47
Years served in Oireachtas: 4 (all as a TD from 2020 to 2024)
Exit payments:
Pension entitlements:
Thomas Pringle • Independent
Age: 57
Years served in Oireachtas: 8 (all as a TD from 2016 to 2024)
Exit payments:
Pension entitlements:
Anne Rabbitte • Fianna Fáil
Age: 51
Years served in Oireachtas: 8 (all as a TD from 2016 to 2024)
Years as Minister for State: 4 (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and Department of Health)
Exit payments:
Pension entitlements:
Patricia Ryan • Sinn Féin
Age: 55
Years served in Oireachtas: 4 (all as a TD from 2020 to 2024)
Exit payments:
Pension entitlements:
Matt Shanahan • Independent
Age: 60
Years served in Oireachtas: 4 (all as a TD from 2020 to 2024)
Exit payments:
Pension entitlements:
Ossian Smyth • Green Party
Years served in Oireachtas: 4 (all as a TD from 2020 to 2024)
Years as Minister of State: 4 (Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, Department of Public Expenditure and Reform)
Exit payments:
Pension entitlements:
Pauline Tully • Sinn Féin
Years served in Oireachtas: 4 (all as a TD from 2020 to 2024)
Exit payments:
Pension entitlements:
Violet-Anne Wynne • Independent
Years served in Oireachtas: 4 (all as a TD from 2020 to 2024)
Exit payments:
Pension entitlements:
Reporter: Stephen McDermott • Editor: Sinéad O’Carroll
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