FINE GAEL has criticised Ireland’s European Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn for pulling out of an interview with RTÉ Radio yesterday after being asked about her pension entitlements by a reporter.
Asked at an event in Dublin if she would consider “parking” her Dáil and ministerial pensions while she was drawing her European salary, Ms Geoghegan-Quinn told the RTÉ reporter: “Well that’s a question that I’ve refused to comment on up to now and I will continue to refuse to comment on it.”
RTÉ News at Onepresenter Seán O'Rourke said shortly afterwards that her spokesman told the programme she was no longer available for a studio interview she had agreed to do and no explanation was offered.
However, her spokesman, speaking from Brussels, said Ms Geoghegan-Quinn had made herself available extensively to Irish media outlets arising from her attendance at the conference, Dublin – A City That Works, organised by the Lord Mayor's commission on employment.
“I understand she did a short interview with RTÉ at the conference today, as well as others with local television, local radio and written press. I understand she made no other firm media commitments,” he said.
At the conference, Ms Geoghegan-Quinn urged EU governments not to cut back on research and development budgets, saying this would impede recovery.
Ms Geoghegan-Quinn received a ministerial pension of €62,945, according to the Department of Finance, and a former TD’s pension of more than €44,380, according to an Oireachtas spokesman, in 2008. She is paid an annual salary of €238,918 in her current post, having secured the research, innovation and science portfolio last November.
Her spokesman said she was not in receipt of a pension from her previous role with the European Court of Auditors in Luxembourg.
A Fine Gael spokesman said: “At a time when the pay and conditions of senior bankers and Government officials is causing such public outcry and anger, it only adds to that sense of frustration amongst the public when a senior Government appointee appears unmoved and rather than facing these issues simply pulls out of a broadcasting engagement.”
A number of prominent figures have relinquished some pension entitlements, including former president Mary Robinson.
In the supplementary budget of April 2009, Mr Lenihan said the arrangement whereby former ministers were paid ministerial pensions while they are still members of the Oireachtas would be discontinued. In June of last year, the Government announced ministerial pensions paid to serving TDs, Senators and Irish MEPs would be cut by 25 per cent from the summer and abolished completely after the next general election.
A number of TDs and MEPs indicated they wished to relinquish their ministerial pensions with immediate effect. As serving members, they were entitled to be paid only 50 per cent of the full pension. They included Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, Labour leader Eamon Gilmore and former Fianna Fáil minister Mary O’Rourke.
Ms Geoghegan-Quinn’s ministerial pension for last year was €64,280, the Department of Finance confirmed. Her TD’s pension for 2009 was not available.