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MICHAEL D HIGGINS WILL BE celebrating today after bagging the highest office in the land – and securing a ticket to lifelong financial security.
The new President will enjoy at least seven years at a salary of almost €250,000. And even if he’s sore about the planned reduction from the current salary of over €325,000, he won’t be showing it. The position also comes with an additional allowance of €317,434 annually for official entertainment and other expenses, plus a generous pension.
But what awaits the six candidates who were pipped to the presidential post? Here TheJournal.ie looks at the earning prospects of those who didn’t quite make it…
David Norris is likely to go back to the cut and thrust of the Seanad chamber. He has said spending on his presidential campaign has left him “in the red”. But Norris does have a comfortable Seanad salary of more than €60,000, plus allowances, to return to – and previously told TheJournal.ie that he is “not going to bellyache” about his finances.
Mary Davis is still listed on the Special Olympics website as their MD for Europe and Eurasia. Her salary there is hardly presidential, but she certainly has earning potential: tax forms released by her campaign show that she was paid in the region of €150,000 gross in 2009 and 2010 from her job and various board positions.
Seán Gallagher‘s future is more uncertain. His career on Dragon’s Den appears to be over, with the Evening Herald reporting this week that he had pulled out of the show in February. And P60 forms released by his campaign show that he earned just €12,133 last year. Presumably he’ll be hoping that some of his investments pay off.
Martin McGuinness will return to his position as Deputy First Minister in the North. The job comes with a salary of almost £112,000 (€127,000), but McGuinness has said he lives on the average industrial wage, donating the rest to Sinn Féin. He has released bank statements showing that he receives a monthly wage of £1,605 (€1,820) from the party.
Gay Mitchell is sitting pretty: his term as an MEP lasts for another three years, during which he will draw the standard salary of €91,984 plus €298 per day in expenses for attending the parliament. However, his earnings aren’t as handsome as they might be: he has donated his pension entitlements as a former minister and TD to the State.
Dana Rosemary Scallon‘s prospects are not clear. The announcement that the All Ireland Talent Show will not be returning to our screens left her with no regular TV job; while she lost her MEP’s salary along with her seat in 2004. According to her website, Dana currently has no concerts booked. However, she will of course still earn royalties from the no fewer than 41 albums she has released since 1970.
And IF Michael D hadn’t made it to the Áras….
…he still could have retired as gracefully as he wished. Having stepped down as a TD in February to contest the presidential election, the 70-year-old had no salary to draw on – but pension entitlements of some €110,000 a year would have kept him warm at night.
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I must say for a fella who was opposed to Norris, i thought he came out of the election campaign with enormous dignity. It was hard to listen to him at times, but he brought great humour and is a very articulate man. All the best to him. We are a nation of begrudgers, which is sad. I think we have elected the right man though, and it’s great when you see what’s happening across the world that we have such freedom of expression as a result of our founding fathers, Padraig Pearse, Michael Collins, Dev etc we don’t say it enough but we are eternally grateful. Even if some people ruined this country,we are here forever. Eire Abu. I love my country
Well said.
Well said Vinny.
Dear Vinny are we talking about the same Dev that penned Article 44 ensuring a “special” place for the Catholic church to censor and abuse with impunity in Ireland for 70 years. Or the same Padraig Pearce that believed that the, “soul of Ireland could be cleansed by the spilt blood of it’s youth”. Or indeed Michael Collins, who acquiesced to Churchill and signed the treaty in 22′ ensuring the worst episode of Irelands history by agreeing to partition. James Connolly was the true visionary of his time and commander in chief on the day of the Rising. He deserves a mention.
Seanie needs a dig-out.
He dug his own grave being part of fianna fail the most toxic political party in Ireland’s history. He is no better than the parasites that destroyed the country with their shady money deals.
“the most toxic political party in Ireland’s history” now I’m definitely no fan of FF but… Surely they can only be the second worst party, given that they robbed us all blind, they didn’t blow up streets full of innocent people and individually murder countless more, many of whom are still missing… Yet the Irish people in our wisdom give SF more and more votes every year? Scary to think what may happen in 15/20yrs
Of course, Fianna Fáil have never been involved in political violence?
Can someone ring Paddy the Plasterer?!
Fianna Fail still think they can dish out blatant lies and the gullible public will lap it all up. FF selling the fantasy yet again.
Disagree. How SF are gathering votes is beyond me. If they were truly a republican party they would treat the citizens of this country with respect and not contempt. We are all republicans, yes we made a huge error of judgement when we elected these people, but people make mistakes, that’s always been a flaw in our makes up,were human, look back in history. However i take issue with the fact about martin mc guinness is a great man because he was about to take people off the dole to give them a job in the aras. Are people mad? This is a man that was part of an organisation that murdered people. Innocent citizens of this state, who left their country because of different issues and were blown up, How dear that man get up on national TV and not admit that the death of Jean mc conville and Garda Gerry Mc Cabe were not murders. If this country is reduced to people like mc guinness, who swear an oath of allegiance to their own party instead of their own state, they shouldn’t even get the right to vote, never mind run for the presidency of country.
I am far from a Sinn Fein supporter but I see some hypocrisy in you condemning all of the actions of the IRA in one stroke and heralding Michael Collins as hero in another.
I agree Simon, the war of independence included alot of civilian killings. Even during the rising, the rebels were known to have killed several civilians that were approaching them. Let’s not forget how hugely unpopular that rising was also. @vinny he never said mccabe wasn’t murder, stop putting words in his mouth. I’m not an avid sf supporter but the contribution from the likes of Mcguinness to peace is undeniable. Even if he is spoofing about how long he was in the ira. I wish people would stop denying the murders and atrocities that took place during the war of independence.
wot about the innocent the uvf/uda/ruc/brit army/mi5 killed the ira were not the only force at work but so many people seem to forget that if the brits hadn of invaded us in the 1st place we wud have never needed a revolution or a fight for equal rights in our own country
@philip, Christ, the ‘Brits’ never invaded us, it was the Normans. What about the tuatha dé danann and the Milesians? What about the innocent victims of your spelling?
The British only set up a repressive, sectarian state in Northern Ireland.
I think the fact Martin earns so much but is paid a fraction is a model all our political parties should adopt. No money grabbers in SF by the looks of it.
But I’m sure there are those who will say they rob banks etc muppets.
Doesn’t he accept his wage as deputy first minister and just give it to the party?
It just goes to SF instead. Doesn’t save the state anything! Also I’m surprised more wasn’t made of those accounts. His wife owns a café business yet she never paid in anything to the joint account for example.
What wrre the lads doing in Adare, grabbing stamps?
Mitchell on nearly €300 A DAY for expenses. Sick anyone?
It’s ok, he’s not on active service every day
Once again well done Michael D. I disagreed with a lot of the candidates political and religious views and their inability to keep the church and state separate. This was especially true with Dana and Gay Mitchell due to their close ties with ultra right wing catholic/Christian organizations.
Everybody without exception has the right to their political,religious or ethical beliefs and there is nothing wrong if these are expressed openly when going for public office, Mitchell was less than open about his connections to such organizations. Dana was simply detached from reality and failed to realize that the secularization of Irish Society is irreversible.
The highest and lowest point of this whole election was the exposure of Sean Gallagher and hopefully it will serve as an example to all aspiring politicians.
yeah its hard to believe he earned just over 10k..
It would be a bit silly to see Gallagher on dragon’s den anymore, I mean if he criticised any of the people on the show they could turn round and say they feel stupid having their business idea judged by a failed businessman.
Good point ponythegringo. I’d be very interested to see how successful the other lads on Dragon’s Den really are.
The show already paraded an unsuccessful one around as a big shot entrepreneur who was apparently making less than lads on the scratcher!
This is the end for some wasters and Dragons Den
BA (Brown envelopes Anonymous) will be meeting every Tuesday at 7:00pm.
As always correct me please if I’m wrong. Wasn’t the Irish war of independence a war, whereas IRA and Unionist violent activity after 1922 was not backed by either the UK or the Irish Republic and therefore was not a ‘war’ but an illegal conflict where every who died on both sides was a murder and not a victim of war.
The Irish War of Independence was considered illegal by the UK government of the time. It was categorized in the same way as the Troubles have been categorized today. Every death inflicted by the British government in the 1919-1921 war was considered legal, whereas every death inflicted by the illegal Irish Republic (a defunct entity which ceased to exist upon the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty) and its collaborators was considered murder, in the same way that today the vast majority of deaths inflicted by British security forces are considered legal whereas those inflicted by Unionist and Nationalist paramilitary organisations are considered illegal.
Death is death, and over hocus pocus like religion and nationalism, is a sad waste.
Donncha, respectfully, I think that the troubles stemmed not so much from nationalism or religion, but the British/Loyalist establishment’s de facto apartheid state, which they maintained by force.
The legality or otherwise of armed conflict is always problematic – look at Iraq. Legality and legitimacy are not necessarily coterminous. Brian is absolutely correct on the point.
McGuinness – once a thug , always a thug – a leopard never changes his spots !
Different dirty tricks this time !
The only dirty trick that we need be concerned with is Gallagher and Fianna Fáil’s attempt to hoodwink the Irish people, an absolute disgrace.
All this mudslinging at Sinn Féin is only a sideshow, and an attempt to distract from the real issue here.
is louie (desperate to be celebrity) copeland the ONLY tailor in this country??
not a patch on Katie
Excuse me, but didn’t Michael D Higgins already have a ticket to financial security courtesy of his various pensions?
would make you wonder why he bothered running. I For one am proud to have someone with his integrity, intellect, vision and passion as President.
You’re excused, not everyone is in this for the money.
It is now been said by a certain Co Louth fuel merchant that it may have been another FF man who came to see him not Sean Gallagher.
I think in next few days the skullduggery of McGuinness will be revealed for all to see and Gallagher will ultimately be vindicated Only high point is MMG gained nothing from it a little over 13%of votes. Hee! Hee! Hee! Away back to “Dairrry” with u wee mairtin. Slan!
Curious ok, but also curious why gallagher had no clear idea on what he did, Perhaps this kind of thing was considered routine.
MMG, has probably has left himself and some of his former comrades open to similar tactics in the future
mmcg has helped gain support for sf and has always been open for attacks regarding the past its funny how people can welcome the queen wit open arms after wot her country and armed forces have done around the world but they cant seem to welcome mmcg …………………………typical
@philip, I doubt if the queen would have got more votes than Marty Mac. Your argument is nonsense.
Please.
Gallagher admitted in the course of the Primetime debate, and more specifically on Pat Kenny the next day, that he solicited donations “up to €5k” from businessmen he invited to this dinner.
This is after a categorical denial of taking part in Fianna Fáil fundraising.
He then backtracked and said that the 2008 event was his first FF fundraiser, only for a photo surfaced of his good self and Albert Reynolds at a 1992 fundraising event.
Please don’t think you can wriggle out of this by throwing muck at the Sinners.
His campaign was nothing less than an insult to the Irish people.
“Dana…will of course still earn royalties from the no fewer than 41 albums she has released since 1970.”
I’m sorry, did I read that correctly? 41 albums????
So that’s about €3.40 then.
Michael D Higgins our president. I am wishing you the very best, God blessing and good luck during your presidency. From Dominic and Breda Achom.
yeah, must be true though.LOL
There’s always Eurovision.
there has to be an opening in the dodgy diesel sector for him
Doubt it. Mcguinness & co have that sector well tied up.
@ CMD. sounded to us like FF had it all sewn up
SF and FF will soon be one.
So did Smarthomes stop paying him rent for the building he part owns and rented to same? I noticed that no m
Baldy Bertie will survive – he only needs to keep his motivational speaking at 2000 Euros a time. As a past director of FAS it would be interesting to know how many he did for FAS. I attended one. How many FAS centres are there? Nice work if you can get it. 1 hour for 2000 Euros who needs the presidency.
I’m intrigued by Dana’s 41 albums. Is that all she has sold, 41 copies? Makes sense, I suppose!
Maybe Joan Burton could help out the losers with an internment somewhere, or jobseekers…
Internment, good one but intentional?
Well, some of them. Internship for the others will do.
Unfortunately if you chuck enough mud some of it sticks.
Rachel, really? Are you still trying to defend the indefensible?
no Niall, you’re the one defending the indefensible. Repeatedly.
I think you’ll find that I’m taking issue with Fianna Fáil and cryptoFF’s repeated attempts to spin the Gallagher story into some kind of Sinn Féin “ambush”.
Hairy Bertie?
Nobody needs all that money. Pure greed.
It is pure greed. No wonder the people of Ireland are broke with there big fat checks every month. There rich while making d people poorer every year when the budget comes along.
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