Investigates Political 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
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say