Termination and severance payments of up to €66,000 each were made to TDs and senators who retired or lost their seats in last year's general election, according to new figures.
Some 70 former members of the Oireachtas have shared termination lump sums and severance payments costing almost €3 million.
The information on the payments was obtained under the Freedom of Information Act .
The payments were made on top of generous pension entitlements, including the payment of full pension after 20 years and the payment of a further lump sum that can be as high as 1½ times the politician's salary.
Based on a TD's current salary of almost €74,000, the full pension which is payable would amount to half this amount, or €37,000 a year. This is payable from the age of 50.
The maximum pension-related lump sum payable is about €111,000.
Further payments for infirmity, death in service and spouse's and children's pensions are available under a new pension scheme for members of the Oireachtas introduced in 1992.
The termination lump sums paid to the 70 former politicians varied between €11,500 and €14,000.
Severance payments ranged from a minimum of €9,000 received by a number of former senators to almost €54,000.
The biggest payments under the scheme went to Fine Gael TDs, led by the late Mr Jim Mitchell.
Mr Mitchell received a lump sum of almost €14,000 and severance payments amounting to €53,500.
As a TD for over 20 years, Mr Mitchell would also have been entitled to a full pension as well as further entitlements in respect of his time as a minister.
Another unsuccessful Fine Gael TD, Mr Charles Flanagan, received over €63,000 in termination and severance benefits.
His party colleagues Mr Andrew Boylan (Cavan/Monaghan) and Mr John Browne (Carlow/Kilkenny) were paid €62,000 and €58,000, respectively.
The next highest payments were made to Ms Mairin Quill (€55,000) of the PDs, the former Fine Gael TD for Cork North West, Mr Michael Creed (€57,000) and Fianna Fáil's Mr Chris Flood (€54,000).
A number of former ministers also qualified for substantial payments for their service as TDs, separate from their ministerial service.
They include former Taoiseach Mr Albert Reynolds (€41,000), Ms Nora Owen (€54,000), Mr Des O'Malley and Mr Michael O'Kennedy (both €44,000), and Mr Dick Spring (€41,000).
Mr Liam Lawlor, the former Fianna Fáil TD who has been jailed three times for failing to co-operate with the Flood tribunal, received a termination lump sum of €12,859.47 and severance payments totalling €29,216.
However, when Mr Lawlor's pension payments are added to his entitlements, the total amounts paid to the former TD came to €116,000, the tribunal heard earlier this year.
Kerry TD Mr Denis Foley, who had an Ansbacher account, received almost €43,000.
Termination allowances were paid to TDs or senators who lost their seats, who did not become a member of the next Dáil or Seanad (such as Mrs Mary O'Rourke), who did not immediately become an MEP or who were not appointed by the Government to a full-time position.
TDs have been awarded a 11.5 per cent pay increase under the current benchmarking deal. However, they have not been required to make productivity concessions in return.
Their current annual salary is €73,914, although long-service increments paid after seven and 10 years take this to €76,272 and €78,627 respectively.
