INCOME:PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE Martin McGuinness has published his monthly bank statements in a move to show that his only income is £1,605 (€1,859) per month.
Mr McGuinness yesterday posted copies of his statements going back to May of this year, showing monthly payments into his account of no more than that amount.
The payments come from Sinn Féin, the statement shows.
It also gives details of Mr McGuinness’s outgoings (primarily groceries and retail), although the numbers for those, and for the overall balance, is redacted.
The information also includes a short letter from the manager at the Strand Road, Derry branch of Bank of Ireland, confirming that Sinn Féin “currently credit the sum of £1,605 to an account” held in the names of Mr McGuinness and his wife, Bernadette.
The Sinn Féin-nominated candidate had promised to publish details of his bank statements following questioning by other candidates, primarily Gay Mitchell, about his income and expenses as an MP, MLA and as deputy first minister in Northern Ireland.
Mr McGuinness has maintained that all his payments from his various political positions have been paid to Sinn Féin and he has drawn a modest salary of £377 from the party. His spokesman said Mr McGuinness owned no other home besides his family home in Derry.
Public records from Stormont and Westminster show that Mr McGuinness’s combined income has amounted to £350,000 (€405,000) a year. This figure includes salary, expenses, staff allowances, and office allowances for his political offices as an MP, MLA and minister in the Northern Executive. Those monies are paid in full to Mr Guinness, who has transferred the money to Sinn Féin. A spokesman said they were used to pay constituency and other party staff, as well as for other expenses.
Mr McGuinness’s salary as deputy first minister was £112,000 a year. In addition, he has been entitled to staff and office allowances amounting to £72,406 as a member of the assembly. Although he is paid no salary as an MP, because abstentionists MPs are not entitled to salary payments, Mr McGuinness is entitled to the following allowances as an MP: staff costs of £102,000 per annum; accommodation allowances of £21,600 a year; and constituency administration allowances of £22,393 a year.
Mr McGuinness also claimed a total of just under £8,000 in constituency travel expenses over three years between 2005 and 2007.
The candidates in the election have come under growing pressure to disclose their income from State and public institutions since two candidates, Mary Davis and Seán Gallagher, published information on their earnings on Monday.
The Labour-backed candidate Michael D Higgins said yesterday that his Oireachtas and ministerial pension amounted to €87,000 a year. In addition, he has a pension of €30,000 a year from NUI, Galway.
Independent candidate David Norris has a Seanad salary of €65,000 a year and claims less than €10,000 in expenses. In addition, he has a pension from Trinity College Dublin, which he said was about €30,000 a year, after taxes had been deducted.
Neither Mr Norris nor Mr Higgins are currently members of any State or commercial boards.
Gay Mitchell of Fine Gael has a salary of €95,000 a year as an MEP and said on Newstalk last weekend that his overall expenses work out at “roughly the same”. His campaign team said the information was contained on his old website, which is currently not in operation.
Dana Rosemary Scallon has said that she is not a member of any State board nor does she receive any public income.
Mr Gallagher said yesterday that it was appropriate to disclose public income only, and not income earned privately.
