Our ref: FOI R1095 Ciste Pinsean (Comhaltaí)

5 April 2016 Members’ Pensions Section

By email: [email protected] Guthán / Telephone: 01-6184672 / 4697 Ríomhphost / e-mail: memberspensions@.ie

Re: FOI Request R1095

Dear Mr Foxe

I refer to the request which you made under the Freedom of Information Act 2014 for records held by this body:

(i) details or estimates of the annual pension entitlement for all outgoing members who will be new entrants to the scheme following general election. (ii) details of the termination payments, lump sums etc for all of the above. (iii) details or estimates of the step down salary payments for those not yet entitled to pension who lost seats, and who left Oireachtas following general election.

I have now made a final decision to grant your request and below are descriptions of the tables attached with this letter providing information on items (i) and (ii) above or in the case of (iii) a description of the interim salary payment paid to outgoing Deputies.

 Table 1 contains estimates of the annual pension entitlement for outgoing members who will be new entrants to the scheme following general election. Estimates for pension entitlements are calculated in the previous year (2015) as part of the budgeting process. The records attached are those estimates compiled in 2015 and are an approximation of the cost of pension and termination payments on the assumption that 75 TDs and 25 Senators would vacate their seats.

 Table 2 contains details of all termination payments made up to the end of March 2016. Please note these are gross amounts.

 Table 3 contains details of all lump sums paid up to the end of March 2016. Please note these are gross amounts.

 In the case of (3) above, the Ministerial, Parliamentary and Judicial Offices and Oireachtas Members (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2001 provides for an interim payment to be made to outgoing deputies. Section 26 of the Act inserts a new 3D into the 1938 Act as follows:

Teach Laighean, Sráid Chill Dara, Baile Átha Cliath 2. Leinster House, Kildare Street, 2. Guthán / Telephone: 01 618 3000. Glao Coigilte / Locall: 1890 337 889 "Payments to persons who are members at dissolution of Dáil Éireann.

3D.—A person who is a member of Dáil Éireann on a day on which Dáil Éireann is dissolved is entitled to be paid an amount equal to one-eighteenth of the salary payable to that member under this Act. The amount is to be calculated by reference to the rate of that salary existing on that day."

A total of €799,865 (gross) was paid under this legislation in February 2016 to 165 members.

In the event that you are not happy with this decision you can make an appeal in relation to this matter. You can do so by writing to the Freedom of Information Unit, Kildare House Extension, Kildare House, Kildare St, Dublin 2 or by e-mail to [email protected]. You should make your appeal within 4 weeks (20 working days) from the date of this notification, where a day is defined as a working day excluding, the weekend and public holidays. However, the making of a late appeal may be permitted in appropriate circumstances.

The appeal will involve a complete reconsideration of the matter by a more senior member of the staff of this body.

Should you have any questions or concerns regarding the above, please contact me by telephone on or email to

Yours sincerely

______Carmel Considine

Principal Clerk Members’ Pensions Houses of the Oireachtas Service Kildare House Kildare Street Dublin 2

Fees for internal review

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2014, a standard fee of €30 must accompany an application for internal review under chapters 1 & 2 of the Act. A reduced fee of €10 applies if you are covered by a medical card, in which case you should supply details of the medical card registration number and issuing health board together with your consent to the verification of these details with the relevant health board. The fee can be paid by cheque, bank draft or order payable to the Houses of the Oireachtas Service. The following internal review applications are exempt from fees: (a) an application in relation to a decision concerning records containing only personal information related to the applicant. (b) an application in relation a decision under section 9 (right of amendment of records relating to personal information). (c) an application in relation to a decision under section 10 (right of person to information regarding acts of public bodies affecting the person). (d) an application in relation to a decision to charge a fee or deposit, or a fee or deposit of a particular amount.

Teach Laighean, Sráid Chill Dara, Baile Átha Cliath 2. Leinster House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Guthán / Telephone: 01 618 3000. Glao Coigilte / Locall: 1890 337 889 Estimate Notes: Ciste Pinsean : Election 2016

Pension Payments Ciste Pinsean 2015* Expenditure & 2016 Estimate 2017 Estimate Estimate to Year End

€4,427,846 €2,795,178

 Election 2016: estimating 75 TDs and 25 Senators will vacate their seats

TDs Termination Payments

2015* Expenditure & 2016 Estimate 2017 Estimate Estimate to Year End

€2,635,918.75 €36,357.50

Senators Termination Payments

2015* Expenditure & 2016 Estimate 2017 Estimate Estimate to Year End

€740,729.17 €54,166.67

Termination Payments (Gross) - March 2016 Name Amount Michael Kitt €5,097 Ruairi Quinn €5,454 Alan Shatter €5,454 Denis Mc Ginley €5,454 Seamus Kirk €5,531 John Browne €5,742 Jimmy Deenihan €5,454 Emmet Stagg €5,973 Eric Byrne €5,454 €5,582 €5,454 Daniel Neville €5,879 Joe Costello €5,969 Sean Kenny €5,454 Anne Ferris €5,454 Jack Wall €5,633 Kathleen Lynch €5,454 Olivia Mitchell €5,502 Joe Higgins €5,454 John Perry €5,647 W Timmins €5,454 Tom Hayes €5,766 Liam Twomey €5,086 Michael Mc Carthy €4,706 Ciaran Lynch €5,742 Lucinda Creighton €5,454 Joe O Reilly €4,872 Tom Fleming €5,454 Ray Butler €5,454 Michelle Mulherin €5,454 Noel Harrington €5,454 Michael Colreavy €5,454 Derek Nolan €5,454 Michael Conaghan €5,454 Sean Conlan €5,454 Paul J Connaughton €5,454 Ciara Conway €5,454 Derek Keating €5,454 Ann Phelan €5,454 Colm Keaveney €5,454 Anthony Lawlor €5,454 John Lyons €5,454 Sandra Mc Lellan €5,454 Robert Dowds €5,454 Eamonn Maloney €5,454 Peter Mathews €5,454 Brian Walsh €5,454 Termination Lump Sums (Gross) - paid March 2016 Name Amount Michael Kitt €13,591 Ruairi Quinn €14,543 Alan Shatter €14,543 Denis Mc Ginley €14,543 Seamus Kirk €14,749 John Browne €15,312 Jimmy Deenihan €14,543 Emmet Stagg €15,929 Eric Byrne €14,671 Pat Rabbitte €14,884 Eamon Gilmore €14,543 Daniel Neville €15,678 Joe Costello €15,919 Sean Kenny €14,543 Anne Ferris €14,543 Jack Wall €15,022 Kathleen Lynch €14,543 Olivia Mitchell €14,671 Joe Higgins €14,543 John Perry €15,059 W Timmins €14,543 Tom Hayes €15,375 Liam Twomey €13,564 Michael Mc Carthy €12,549 Gabrielle Mcfadden €14,543 Ciaran Lynch €15,312 Lucinda Creighton €14,543 Joe O Reilly €12,992 Tom Fleming €14,543 Ray Butler €14,543 Michelle Mulherin €14,543 Noel Harrington €14,543 Michael Colreavy €14,543 Derek Nolan €14,543 Michael Conaghan €14,543 Sean Conlan €14,543 Paul J Connaughton €14,543 Ciara Conway €14,543 Derek Keating €14,543 Ann Phelan €14,543 Colm Keaveney €14,543 Anthony Lawlor €14,543 John Lyons €14,543 Sandra Mc Lellan €14,543 Robert Dowds €14,543 Eamonn Maloney €14,543 Peter Mathews €14,543