In order for pre 2007 Oireachtas members to qualify for the Oireachtas pension 8 years service is required. After 8 years a pension of 25% from age 55 is payable, with a reduced amount from age 45. Each year of service thereafter adds 2.5% to pensionable income until 50% is reached after 18 years. This arrangement was changed by Charlie McCreevy for those elected the for first time in 2007 are only entitled to the normal Civil Service arrangements.

No less than 4 of the 8 Green Oireachtas members need the current Dail to last another year to June 2010 to qualify for the pension in the event of not being re-elected (a virtual certainty for all of them if an election were held in the next 12 months). The 4 are Dan Boyle, Paul Gogarty, Eamonn Ryan and Ciaran Cuffe. All the 3 Green Ministers have just reached the 2 years of service to reach the 25% of Ministerial pay pension entitlement.

Also, Deirdre de Burca has allegedly borrowed up to €100k to run her Euro election campaign. Therefore, she also needs the salary and expenses from her Seanad stint to pay that loan off.

Therefore, in excess of half the Green Parliamentary Party have a very personal financial reason to prop up the government for at least a year, or longer if possible. Is this the real reason why the Greens are so wedded to government?

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Seabhcan on EU Enlargement and the Lisbon Treaty: "There is no shortage of cheap labour - Turkey isn't needed."