The Dail will today spend little over two hours on approving major improvements in politicians' pensions and allowances being proposed by the Minister for Finance, Mr Charlie McCreevy.
Mr McCreevy will steer the required legislation through the House today just three days before the Dail's three-month summer recess.
It will reduce the minimum period of service as a government minister required to qualify for a pension from three years to two. Ministerial pension age is to come down from 55 to 50.
This means a 50-year-old former office-holder who served just two years in cabinet will be entitled to 20 per cent of their salary on top of any pension entitlements arising from Oireachtas service. A former Taoiseach in these circumstances, for example, would receive £15,883 per year once they retire from the Oireachtas on top of any Oireachtas pension to which they are entitled.
The Bill confirms the salary increases approved by the Cabinet earlier this year arising from the Buckley review of pay for senior State employees. These increases give the Taoiseach £79,416, which together with his £45,473 TD's salary brings his annual total to £124,889. The Tanaiste will receive £107,768, Ministers £100,328, Ministers of State £70,113.
The Leader of the Seanad will, for the first time, be paid £7,213 - on top of their senator's salary of £28,773 - as an office-holder.
The Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, is to report to the Dail tomorrow on the Government's review of documents concerning the 1970 Arms Trial. Mr O'Donoghue will present a written report, commissioned following the discovery of previously unpublicised material in State papers released under the 30-year rule. The material concerned the alteration of a Garda statement by a key witness, the former head of military intelligence, Col Michael Hefferon.
The Dail is expected to vote on Friday to introduce electronic voting in the chamber in a move that could save substantial amounts of parliamentary time.