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Ireland's Minister for Justice to receive $418,000 in first year after retirement

Dermot Ahern will receive substantial golden handshake

ANTOINETTE KELLY,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Wednesday, December 1, 2010, 7:23 AM

Updated Wednesday, December 1, 2010, 7:31 AM

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Dermot Ahern outside Leinster House yesterday

Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern is set to receive almost $418,000 (€320,000) in the 12 months proceeding his retirement from Irish parliament.

The huge fund will be a combination of pensions payments and once off payments.

More than $228,000 (€175,000) will be tax free. A year after he retires, Mr Ahern will benefit from a combined annual ministerial and TD's pension of more than $167,000 (€128,300), more than he stands to earn if he remains a TD. The Louth TD currently earns over $128,000 (€98,400).

Mr Ahern will benefit from five separate arrangements in the 12 months following his retirement. His Parliamentary salary has dropped from $139,000, it is his former higher salary that will be taken into account for pension purposes.

A solicitor by profession, he will be paid a tax free lump sum, totaling 1½ times his salary, to which all public servants are entitled to upon retirement. He will also avail of tax-free termination allowance especially for members of the Oireachtas, which will amount to two months salary totaling $23, 216 (€17,763).

The Justice Minister will also enjoy slightly higher pension payments for the first year due to a termination payment allowance which will issue his pension at 75 percent of his salary for the first six months, before dropping to 50 percent.

Mr Ahern (55) will be entitled to collect his pension as soon as he retires from the Irish parliament.

Yesterday Mr Ahern made the announcement that he planned to stand down after next year's general election due to health reasons.

Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Pat Kenny yesterday, he said he has been advised to reduce the pace of his life.

"I canvassed in Donegal and I physically was not able to move after one days canvassing because of the pain. That is something I am going to have to live with but I’m told if I am to have any chance of that dissipating obviously my pace of life has to change somewhat,” he said.

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gaillimh | Dec 04, 2010, 07:19 PM EST

First of all, warrenpoint00, Dermot Ahern is a TD for Co Louth not Co Donegal but the rest I agree with you on, and more; the Dail itself is a joke--166 TD's for 4 million or so people; this would equate to about 3,500 representatives in the US-think about that. Also, with MR Gerry thinking of running in, ironically, Co Louth, well what can one say only that Sinn FEIN are hypocrites-like the rest, because not too long ago, they,Sinn Fein always said those famous words : "We dont recognise the Dail". Most,not all,Irish TD's do not have the good of the country in mind and Mr Ahern certainty does not. If he had an ounce,make that a gram, of decency he would fore go most of this pension in these awful, except for TD's and bankers of course, economic times. To jacersagain i say : wake up -u say he's an intelligent solicitor, a slime bag solicitor is more like it who did nothing substantial in and for the peace process.

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CitizenWhy | Dec 03, 2010, 03:55 PM EST

Another instance of what Irish Justice means, along with the government's paying off the debts of rich Irish bankers to rich German bankers. Bah!

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peterson | Dec 02, 2010, 07:49 PM EST

Outrageous !!

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jacersagain | Dec 02, 2010, 04:52 PM EST

(...more) May I suggest that you, dear peepaddy re-read my posts on this topic before you and your kind continue your ignorant diatribe? I merely defended the right of public servants to a pension that they have substantially contributed to all their working lives. Public servants in any country, including the USA, individually and collectively, put a huge effort into the running of their countries and pay the same taxes as every other taxpayer. Many unsung public servants actually save their country money, in many cases money that far exceeds their salaries, thereby being people who in real terms work for free for their country. My point is that good people like Dermot Ahern, like a lot of good TDs on both sides of the Irish Dáil, who do a lot of hard unsung work, are entitled to pensions relative to their input for the Irish nation, its people and their constituents. If you go to an Irish TD’s clinic to present a case or seek advice e.g. on reclaiming overpaid taxes etc, you are not charged a single cent to see him or her. Contrast that with going to General Practice doctors’ clinics, which charge mothers and fathers of sick children €60 (USD$80) for a few minutes visit to assess the child’s health problem. I sincerely hope you never have a pee problem paddy.

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jacersagain | Dec 02, 2010, 04:43 PM EST

Ah now now peepaddy, spitting out totally ignorant assumptions and words like “I'm assuming you're a Finna Fail antirepublican too”, straight off may I say that I am proud to sing my country’s national anthem anytime. Its chorus starts off with #Sinne Fianna Fáil atá fé gheall ag Éirinn...# - in English, for the ignorant, that means “Soldiers are we, whose lives are pledged to Ireland...” The full song has three verses, with the chorus sung after each; at national and international events, only the chorus is sung or its music notes played. My pride in singing my country’s national anthem, alongside my fellow countrymen and women, has nothing to do with a political party in Ireland. Anyway... to your points on the topic (More..)

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pmunited | Dec 01, 2010, 11:26 PM EST

Why is this pension tax free? This is disgraceful that he is getting paid so much in this time of crisis. If the austerity budget is to be accepted, then those at the top will need to share the pain. No Government minister needs to earn more than 100k. The big earners in RTE such as Pat Kenny also need to take a big cut in pay.

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plasticpaddy | Dec 01, 2010, 09:40 PM EST

Dermot Ahern an intelligent man? He did feck all during the peace negotiations but make insulting and unproductive comments about Sinn Fein members. He has and is a complete idiot. This crap about him being elected year after year is about as intellectual an argument as you would expect form a Tea Party member. This is utter tripe, Bertie Ahern was elected year after year despite his obvious corrupt actions as treasurer of the party during Haughey;s misdeeds and his ruining of our economic bounty during the Celtic Tiger years. Your argument is idiotic jacersagain, I'm assuming you're a Finna Fail antirepublican too.

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jacersagain | Dec 01, 2010, 08:29 PM EST

(...more) Contrast your derisory complaints with those pension entitlements of a Garda (policeman) or nurse, or ambulance or fire-brigade people, or the many others serving the public at call (like Dermot Ahern) who are guaranteed the same public servant rights to pension entitlements as Dermot Ahern is, on foot of their docked pay and commitment to serving the public (that means you and me and others in and outside Ireland). Would you complain if a fireman, committed to saving lives in dangerous fires all his life, would you complain if a nurse who humanely served yourself, your family, your neighbours or your dearly departed well in stressful conditions of work, or a member of the naval services and helicopter life-guards, I could go on and on - would you deny them as public servants their rightful pensions too? As a thinking tax-payer, I would never deny them their rightful entitlements. Dermot Ahern deserves every cent he is entitled to, especially as a person working as a Peacemaker for my country in the Peace Process. He amongst others deserves his pension for standing up against the odds... oh - and also entitled to return of his substantial payday dockings.

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warrenpoint00 | Dec 01, 2010, 08:26 PM EST

Shoot the f....r, it will save some money over a few years.The people of Donegal should have more sense in leting this loser walk around their beautiful county it was and is preserved for the Irish of IRELAND not for a bunch of bastards conforming to a corrupt and useless free state. Irish republic my ass.It was destined to fail from its corrupt formation by descendants of these losers.Wake up IRISH man.

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jacersagain | Dec 01, 2010, 08:23 PM EST

Hang on a minute, you people knocking this man Dermot Ahern’s pension entitlements upon his enforced early retirement at 55 yrs of age... Firstly, he is an intelligent solicitor (lawyer) who knows the laws of Ireland well, who has served all of the public people of Ireland exceptionally well throughout his career, especially in being a participant in the Peace Talks which led to the Good Friday Agreement that led to peace in my country and whom a fellow called Niall O’Dowd would have met at those talks. Secondly, the people of his electoral area have consistently elected him year after year, so they must have been satisfied with his services for them as their local public representative to do so. Thirdly, as a public servant, he is entitled to a public servant’s pension, for which, like every public servant, he was docked (deducted) money each pay day throughout his working career to pay for his future retirement. Public servants like TDs (or MPs or Congressmen), elected as Public Representatives, do not ever know if they are going to be re-elected at the next election. The good ones do get re-elected. The good elected TDs become Ministers of Government, like Ahern did. (more...)

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jimmy12003 | Dec 01, 2010, 05:00 PM EST

he should be tied along with bertie ahern and shot! useless corupt cu-nt!

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dessieglynn | Dec 01, 2010, 03:28 PM EST

No wonder Ireland needs a bailout from IMf. Shows I have always been right -- to wit--- all politicians are crooks.!!!!! even in holy Ireland

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greenferrett101 | Dec 01, 2010, 03:06 PM EST

This is absolutely disgraceful

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killowen | Dec 01, 2010, 12:05 PM EST

feeders of pigs - patsys