Cowen's €500,000 pension boost for ex-minister

[johnfás]

FINANCE Minister Brian Cowen inserted a special clause in a new Bill so a former senior cabinet colleague could claw back hundreds of thousands of euro in unclaimed pension payments.

The sum involved is thought to range between €300,000 and €500,000.

Mr Cowen quietly included the special section in a Bill which was passed in the Dail last week.

It benefits a single individual, a former leading member of Fianna Fail, who only applied for his ministerial pension nearly five years after he became entitled to it. Up until last week, the law insisted that ministers must apply for their pension payments within a six-month period.

If they missed that deadline, they would only be paid from the date after their application was lodged.

Irish Independent

RTE report the ex-minister in question as Dr Michael Woods
RTE

[blucey]

FINANCE Minister Brian Cowen inserted a special clause in a new Bill so a former senior cabinet colleague could claw back hundreds of thousands of euro in unclaimed pension payments.

The sum involved is thought to range between €300,000 and €500,000.

Mr Cowen quietly included the special section in a Bill which was passed in the Dail last week.

It benefits a single individual, a former leading member of Fianna Fail, who only applied for his ministerial pension nearly five years after he became entitled to it. Up until last week, the law insisted that ministers must apply for their pension payments within a six-month period.

If they missed that deadline, they would only be paid from the date after their application was lodged.

Irish Independent

No chance of a law being slipped thru to enable Ireland to become hague compliant, or to engender civil unions regardless of gender, or ......
Typical.

[Pauli]

No end to the gombeen kleptocracy!

[ivnryn]

No end to the gombeen kleptocracy!

In fairness, he was entitled to the money, he just forgot to claim it. However, I guess it isn't very likely that they would do the same if it wasn't a FF-er.

[greengoose]

No end to the gombeen kleptocracy!

In fairness, he was entitled to the money, he just forgot to claim it. However, I guess it isn't very likely that they would do the same if it wasn't a FF-er.

Some minister that! Forgetting dosh, whatever next?

[odie1kanobe]

No end to the gombeen kleptocracy!

In fairness, he was entitled to the money, he just forgot to claim it. However, I guess it isn't very likely that they would do the same if it wasn't a FF-er.

Disagree strongly here as despite party differences the politicians generally look after after former ones and believe it would have occurred irrespective of the persons political affiliation.

Despite the idea that its always a bear pit most politicians get on well with other politicians.

[JCSkinner]

No end to the gombeen kleptocracy!

In fairness, he was entitled to the money, he just forgot to claim it. However, I guess it isn't very likely that they would do the same if it wasn't a FF-er.

He didn't apply for the pension on time. Therefore he was not entitled to this money. If he was entitled to it, Biffo wouldn't have to railroad legislation through, would he?
And I severely doubt whether the individual involved has any great need of further state funding, given that they forgot to apply for their pension for five years.
This is a total disgrace and a waste of state monies.

[Pauli]

No end to the gombeen kleptocracy!

In fairness, he was entitled to the money, he just forgot to claim it. However, I guess it isn't very likely that they would do the same if it wasn't a FF-er.

Disagree strongly here as despite party differences the politicians generally look after after former ones and believe it would have occurred irrespective of the persons political affiliation.

Despite the idea that its always a bear pit most politicians get on well with other politicians.

Otherwise it would be a very lonely place, totally cut off from reality as they are.

[Watcher]

No end to the gombeen kleptocracy!

In fairness, he was entitled to the money, he just forgot to claim it. However, I guess it isn't very likely that they would do the same if it wasn't a FF-er.

Doesn't matter that he was "entitled" to the money. My wife finished a contract a few years ago and didn't sign on because she thought she would get something quickly. Three weeks went by and she then signed on since we had only just moved to a new house. When she signed on they told her that she could only claim from the time of signing on and could not claim for the previous few weeks.

Tosser politicians!!!

[David Cochrane]

It seems odd that the Indo wouldn't mention the former Minister in question, we can assume he's a former FF Minister..............