Former President McAleese draws first payment on lucrative $220,000 pension

Although she was an exceptional president, pension such as this, like many of the judiciary, is difficult to justify at a time when childrens allowance and basic social welfare rates are being unempaathically cut. It's a disturbing case of a tale of two republics.

Too many secrets to keep citizen69 and an offer too good to refuse. Now where have I heard that before.

Pretty disgusting amount of money for a yearly pension when the government are trying to decimate the pensions of ordinary working people. Another example of looking after the top one percent.

The discrepancy between the likes of this woman claiming to 'understand' the Irish People and the manner in which She Herself lives is hilarious! not her fault entirely, we set them up like this...why? why can't we have an ordinary honest decent person on normal wages as President...in some dysfunctional way we exalt positions of public office and punish positions we don't really expect to pay for..teachers, nurses, Hospitals and caring people who because they are 'caring' seem to do it for nothing anyway

I often wonder Irelands two most powerful women in their day, Mary McAleese and Mary Robinson, both in law and politics and being mothers themselves, never spoke out publicly against the abuse rampant during their time in office. I quess it was to do with votes, the latter a Catholic and the former with strong connections.

What is the point of this article? The 162,754 euro is hardly going to balance the Irish budget.

You can only imagine what Barry O'Bama will be getting when he leaves office, hopefully on Jan. 20, 2013. He should be good for over 25 million a year, between speaking engagements and expenses. You can be assured he & Mickie will be taking every nickel that the US gov't will give them. And you quibble about $220K??? Pullleeeze!!!!

Paradigm: "President McAleese provided a rare 'role model". What sycophantic garbage. I bet a lot of Irish people would love to follow Madame Loudmouth's "role" as regards salary. She's the best paid patriot Ireland has produced since Dan O'Connell! And McDolan, you think she deserves the money but not the commenets. What a kissass you are.

not chump change, nice work if you can get it. Its tragic having to be reminded of the sharks who suck blood of their sheep.

Steady up there LoyalCitizen - try saying that again - in the morning. By the way, it's your round next! Ooops!!

Crime does pay for this traitor.......Successive so called Irish Governments steal from Social Welfare Recipients using opinions and this walks away with the proceeds.........Perverse person.

A scandal. People worked hard for 40 years (with no expenses) and some of them just get enough to live on. I'll say no more.

How petty can one get - President McAleese provided a rare 'role model' during her term in office and is still too valuable to be 'dumped'. I reckon Ireland will get more value for her pension than it will get from some of the asset-strippers who killed the Celtic tiger.

Well, she looks good (though she's daft).

I think saying that she's 'laughing all the way to the bank' is grossly unfair and demeaning! For shame, she doesn't deserve that, Cathal.