FORTY-four TDS and ministers may have lost their seats but they leave with a consolation prize of generous pensions and pay-offs.

The biggest pay-offs go to those with the longest service, but even those who were TDs for just the three-year-and-nine-month duration of the last Dail will be handsomely recompensed.

TDs and senators are entitled to a pension and a tax-free pension lump sum, based on years of service; a tax-free termination lump sum, the equivalent of two months' salary; plus a portion of their salary paid up to 12 months after they leave -- called termination payments.

The pension packages for individual TDs and ministers are not published, so we have done our own basic estimation of the pension entitlements of all 44 outgoing TDs.

We calculated their packages based on years of service in the Dail, Seanad and in Government, using guidelines from the Department of Finance and the Oireachtas.

For outgoing TDs who were first-timers in the last Dail, we used a calculation provided by the Oireachtas.

Oireachtas pensions, which are capped at 20 years' service, are calculated as a 40th of one's salary -- pre Budget cuts -- multiplied by years or days of service. The pension lump sum is three times the pension. The termination lump sum is two months' salary -- post Budget cuts -- plus staggered monthly payments based on years of service, up to a maximum of a year.

Ministers get an additional pension plus severance, which for those with at least two years' service is the equivalent of one year's salary, paid monthly over two years.

Ministers can't claim both pension and severance at the same time. Those who have yet to reach 50 -- the age at which they can start drawing down their pensions and lump sums -- can take the severance to tide them over until their pension comes through. Fiftysomethings can opt for severance or pension: if the monthly severance is bigger than the pension, you can guess which one the politician will go for.

Our figures are estimates. In some cases, they will understate the actual exit packages an outgoing TD or minister will take home.

We haven't factored in, for instance, additional income earned from chairing a committee (worth an extra €8,000 to €13,000 a year) or being a party whip (€11,000 to €14,000 more) or being a deputy chair (€7,000 extra).

All of this income boosts the pension they eventually receive on leaving politics.

Nor have we factored in a "conversion" scheme that allows senators who become TDs to have their Seanad pension converted to a more valuable TD's pension.

TDs opting to do this have to pay the difference in contributions but it can be worth it, boosting their final pension by thousands.

A few other things to note: TDs elected before 2004 are able to draw their pensions from the age of 50.

Under new legislation, those elected since then can't draw their pensions until they are 65. That applies to ministers, too.

All outgoing TDs will be hit by the cuts to public service pensions, which means an average cut of 4 per cent on the pensions listed here.

Not all are taking the money. The Greens have decided to forego their severance pay, following the example of their party colleague, Trevor Sargent, who donated his to charity when he was forced to resign as a junior minister two years ago.

Enda Kenny, the Taoiseach-in-waiting, has promised "there will be no more severance payments for ministers when they leave". Micheal Martin, the Fianna Fail leader who resigned as minister in the heave against Brian Cowen, bowed to pressure and said he would forego his severance package.

The 44 outgoing TDs could be the losers in GE11 but they could also be the last in line for such generous packages to smooth their path out of Leinster House.

Michael Ahern, 62, FF

Service: 19-plus years

TD's pension: €50,600

Pension lump sum: €151,000

Termination lump sum: €16,400

Termination payment: €61,500

* Plus existing ministerial pension: c. €21,000

Barry Andrews, 43, FF

Service: 8-plus years

TD's pension: €20,600

TD pension lump sum: €62,000

Termination lump sum: €15,900

Termination payment: €35,800

Ministerial pension: €10,900

Ministerial severance payment: €46,500

Chris Andrews, 46, FF

Service: 3-plus years

TD's pension: €9,400

Pension lump sum: €28,200

Termination lump sum: €15,400

Termination payments: €5,700

Bobby Aylward, 55, FF

Service: 3-plus years

TD's pension: €9,400

Pension lump sum: €28,200

Termination lump sum: €15,400

Termination payments: €5,700

Joe Behan, 51, Ind

Service: 3-plus years

TD's pension: €9,400

Pension lump sum: €28,200

Termination lump sum: €15,400

Termination payments: €5,700

Aine Brady, 56, FF

Service: 3-plus years

TD's pension: €9,400

Pension lump sum: €28,200

Termination lump sum: €15,400

Termination payments: €5,700

Ministerial pension: doesn't qualify

Ministerial severance: €44,600

Cyprian Brady, 48, FF

Service: 8-plus years as TD and senator

Senator's pension: €8,700

Seanad lump sum: €26,000*

TD's pension: €9,400

Pension lump sum: €28,200

Termination lump sum: €15,400

Termination payments: €5,700

Johnny Brady, 63, FF

Service: 13-plus years

TD's pension: €34,600

Pension lump sum: €103,900

Termination lump sum: €16,400

Termination payments: €57,400

Thomas Byrne, 33, FF

Service: 3-plus years

TD's pension: €9,400

Pension lump sum: €28,200

Termination lump sum: €15,400

Termination payments: €5,700

Pat Carey, 63, FF

Service: 13-plus years

TD's pension: €34,600

Pension lump sum: €103,900

Termination lump sum: €16,400

Termination payments: €57,400

Ministerial pension: €21,600

Ministerial severance: €57,500

Deirdre Clune, 51, FG

Service: 3-plus years in current Dail

TD's pension (does not include pension for earlier term as TD): €9,400

Pension lump sum: €28,200

Termination lump sum: €15,400

Termination payments: €5,700

Margaret Conlon, 43, FF

Service: 3-plus years

TD's pension: €9,400

Pension lump sum: €28,200

Termination lump sum: €15,400

Termination payments: €5,700

Sean Connick, 47, FF

Service: 3-plus years

TD's pension: €9,400

Pension lump sum: €28,200

Termination lump sum: €15,400

Termination payments: €5,700

Ministerial pension: doesn't qualify

Ministerial severance: €27,000

Mary Coughlan, 43, FF

Service: 23-plus years

TD's pension: €53,000

Pension lump sum: €159,800

Termination lump sum: €16,400

Termination payment: €61,500

Tanaiste's pension: €87,000

Tanaiste's severance: €115,800

Ciaran Cuffe, 47, Green

Service: 8-plus years

TD's pension: €20,600

TD pension lump sum: €62,000

Termination lump sum: €15,900

Termination payment: €35,800

Ministerial severance: €25,200

John Curran, 50, FF

Service: 8-plus years

TD's pension: €20,600

TD pension lump sum: €62,000

Termination lump sum: €15,900

Termination payment: €35,800

Ministerial pension: doesn't qualify

Ministerial severance: €44,600

Michael D'arcy, 41, FG

Service: 3-plus years

TD's pension: €9,400

Pension lump sum: €28,200

Termination lump sum: €15,400

Termination payments: €5,700

Frank Fahey, 59, FF

Service: 27-plus years in total as TD and senator

Senator's pension: €7,000

Pension lump sum: €21,000*

TD's pension: €53,200

Pension lump sum: €159,800

Termination lump sum: €16,400

Termination payments: €61,500

* Plus existing ministerial pension: c. €30,000

Michael Fitzpatrick, 68, FF

Service: 3-plus years

TD's pension: €9,400

Pension lump sum: €28,200

Termination lump sum: €15,400

Termination payments: €5,700

Paul Gogarty, 42, Green

Service: 8-plus years

TD's pension: €20,600

TD pension lump sum: €62,000

Termination lump sum: €15,900

Termination payment: €35,800

John Gormley, 51, Green

Service: 13-plus years

TD's pension: €34,600

Pension lump sum: €103,900

Termination lump sum: €16,400

Termination payments: €57,400

Ministerial pension: €31,200

Ministerial severance: €98,700

Mary Hanafin, 51, FF

Service: 13-plus years

TD's pension: €34,600

Pension lump sum: €103,900

Termination lump sum: €16,400

Termination payments: €57,400

Ministerial pension: €62,500

Ministerial severance: €98,700

Sean Haughey, 49, FF

Service: 23 years as TD and senator

Senator's pension: €8,700

Pension lump sum: €26,300*

TD's pension: €47,900

Pension lump sum: €143,800

Termination lump sum: €16,400

Termination payments: €61,500

Ministerial pension: €13,600

Ministerial severance: €46,500

Maire Hoctor, 48, FF

Service: 8-plus years

TD's pension: €20,600

Pension lump sum: €62,000

Termination lump sum: €15,900

Termination payment: €35,800

Peter Kelly, 66, FF

Service: 8-plus years

TD's pension: €20,600

Pension lump sum: €62,000

Termination lump sum: €15,900

Termination payment: €35,800

Brendan Kenneally, 55, FF

Service: 21-plus years as TD and senator

Senator pension: €8,700

Senator lump sum: €26,300*

TD's pension: €42,600

Pension lump sum: €127,890

Termination payment: €57,400

Termination lump sum: €16,400

Michael Kennedy, 62, FF

Service: 3-plus years

TD's pension: €9,400

Pension lump sum: €28,200

Termination lump sum: €15,400

Termination payments: €5,700

Conor Lenihan, 48, FF

Service: 13-plus years

TD's pension: €34,600

Pension lump sum: €103,900

Termination lump sum: €16,400

Termination payments: €57,400

Ministerial pension: €21,800

Ministerial severance: €46,500

Martin Mansergh, 64, FF

Service: 8-plus years as TD and Senator

Senator's pension: €8,700

Lump sum: €26,300*

TD's pension: €9,400

Pension lump sum: €28,200

Termination lump sum: €15,400

Termination payments: €5,700

Ministerial pension: €10,900

Ministerial severance: €46,500

Tom McEllistrim, 42, FF

Service: 8-plus years

TD's pension: €20,600

TD pension lump sum: €62,000

Termination lump sum: €15,900

Termination payment: €35,800

John Moloney, 57, FF

Service: 13-plus years

TD's pension: €34,600

Pension lump sum: €103,900

Termination lump sum: €16,400

Termination payments: €57,400

Ministerial pension: €10,900

Ministerial severance: €46,500

Michael Mulcahy, 50, FF

Service: 8-plus years

TD's pension: €20,600

Pension lump sum: €62,000

Termination lump sum: €15,900

Termination payment: €35,800

Darragh O'Brien, 36, FF

Service: 3-plus years

TD's pension: €9,400

Pension lump sum: €28,200

Termination lump sum: €15,400

Termination payments: €5,700

(His appointment to the Seanad means he no longer qualifies for termination payments or lump sum)

Charlie O'Connor, 64, FF

Service: 8-plus years

TD's pension: €20,600

Pension lump sum: €62,000

Termination lump sum: €15,900

Termination payment: €35,800

John O'Donoghue, 54, FF

Service: 23-plus years

TD's pension: €53,000

Pension lump sum: €159,800

Termination lump sum: €16,400

Termination payment: €61,500

*Plus existing ministerial pension: c. €75,000

Mary O'Rourke, 73, FF

Service: 29-plus years as TD and Senator

Senator's pension: €8,700

Lump sum: €26,300*

TD's pension: €53,000

Pension lump sum: €159,800

Termination lump sum: €16,400

Termination payment: €61,500

Plus existing ministerial pension: c. €43,700

Christy O'Sullivan, 62, FF

Service: 3-plus years

TD's pension: €9,400

Pension lump sum: €28,200

Termination lump sum: €15,400

Termination payments: €5,700

Peter Power, 45, FF

Service: 8-plus years

TD's pension: €20,600

TD pension lump sum: €62,000

Termination lump sum: €15,900

Termination payment: €35,800

Ministerial pension: €10,900

Ministerial severance : €46,500

Sean Power, 50, FF

Service: 13-plus years

TD's pension: €34,600

Pension lump sum: €103,900

Termination lump sum: €16,400

Termination payments: €57,400

Dick Roche, 63, FF

Service: 23-plus years as TD and Senator

Senator's pension: €7,800

Pension lump sum: €23,600*

TD's pension: €47,900

Pension lump sum: €143,700

Termination lump sum: €16,400

Termination payments: €61,500

Ministerial pension: c. €42,000

Ministerial severance: €46,500

Eamon Ryan, 47, Green

Service: 8-plus years

TD's pension: €20,600

TD pension lump sum: €62,000

Termination lump sum: €15,900

Termination payment: €35,800

Ministerial pension: €31,200

Ministerial severance: €98,745

Trevor Sargent, 50, Green

Service: 18-plus years

Pension: €47,900

Pension lump sum: €143,800

Termination lump sum: €16,400

Termination payment: €61,500

* Plus existing ministerial pension: c €10,000

Eamon Scanlon, 56, FF

Service: 8-plus years as TD and senator

Senator's pension: €8,766

Lump sum: €26,300*

TD's pension: €9,400

Pension lump sum: €28,200

Termination lump sum: €15,400

Termination payments: €5,700

Tom Sheahan, 42, FG

Service: 3-plus years

TD's pension: €9,400

Pension lump sum: €28,200

Termination lump sum: €15,400

Termination payment: €5,700

Mary White, 62, Green

Service: 3-plus years

TD's pension: €9,400

Pension lump sum: €28,200

Termination lump sum: €15,400

Termination payment: €5,700

Ministerial pension: doesn't qualify

Ministerial severance: €23,200

*Senator's pension lump sum must be returned when Seanad pension is converted to TD's pension

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