Editorial: Out-of-touch Dail pensions must change

ALREADY hardpressed pensioners who are bracing themselves for next week's Budget will be shocked and angered by our report of how much outgoing Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern will take with him in his pension.

The TD, who has opted out of Dail politics by his own volition, will get €318,000 next year and close to €130,000 every year thereafter.

That's roughly 13 times what ordinary OAPs get in their state pension.

No one is disputing that TDs are entitled to a decent pension for serving the people and perhaps, for having given up other jobs to do so.

But no one ever envisaged that those pensions would become so out of proportion to the pensions of the citizenry.

And when the meagre pensions of our retired population are being threatened, it is clear that it is way past time that Dail pensions were examined and reformed.