State pensions for former Presidents, Taoisigh, government ministers, members of the judiciary and Comptrollers and Auditors General came to just under £3 million in 1996. The total - £2,833,821 - is less than the 1995 figure of £2,906,443.
Dr Patrick J. Hillery, former President of Ireland, received a pension of £53,825 from his time as President as well as a ministerial pension of £14,688.
Former Taoiseach, Mr Charles J. Haughey, received a pension payment of £38,705. Dr Garret FitzGerald and Mr Albert Reynolds received payments of £35,480 each, while former Taoisigh, Mr Liam Cosgrave and Mr Jack Lynch, received £29,029 each.
The amounts were published yesterday by the Department of Finance.
Mrs Rita Childers, wife of the late Erskine H. Childers, received £26,913. Two former Comptrollers and Auditors General, Mr Sean G. Mac Gearailt and Mr P.L. McDonnell, received £37,538 and £39,762, respectively.
Former minister, Mr John Wilson, received a pension of £27,490. Mr Peter Barry received a pension of £22,773, and former ministers, Mr Gerard Collins MEP, Mr Patrick Cooney, Mr James Gibbons, Mr Robert Molloy and Mr Desmond O'Malley, received £20,020 each during 1996.
The former Fine Gael minister, Mr Paddy O'Toole, made a gift to the State of his 1996 ministerial pension on his appointment as special adviser to chief whip and Minister of State at the Department of Defence, Mr Jim Higgins.
With effect from January 12th, 1993, a new pensions regime was introduced for office-holders who had no entitlement to a pension - i.e. less than three years' service - prior to that date. Office-holders who already had three years or more of service were given the option to avail of the terms of the new scheme. Under the arrangements, office-holder pensions are not normally payable until the age of 55, and pensions are abated by half for as long as the recipient remains in the Dail, Seanad or European Parliament.
Under the pre-1993 regime, pensions accrued up to January 12th, 1993, are payable on leaving office, regardless of the age of the person or his or her continued membership of the Oireachtas.
A short-term severance scheme was introduced in 1992 and provides for allowances for those ceasing to hold office after January 1993. Severance is paid for a period equal to that spent in office, subject to an overall limit of two years. Payment of ministerial pensions ceases on return to office.
Fianna Fail ministers who lost office with the collapse of the Reynolds government in 1995 received a total of £109,535 during 1996 under the scheme. Mr Bertie Ahern received £15,961, Mr Charlie McCreevy £15,880, Mr David Andrews £15,879 and Mr Brian Cowen £15,880.
