A Former Fianna Fáil TD and Tánaiste has revealed that he currently has “quite a number” of pensions and fully believes all retired politicians are completely entitled to the high amounts of money they are paid when they leave the Dail.
The outspoken TD Ray MacSharry a former minister for finance and an EU commissioner made his comments after he revealed on the Marian Finucane Radio Show that he was in receipt of a State pension just in excess of €41,000 back in 2014.
The former minister also revealed that he even has a separate “small” income from Europe. MrSharry revealed his cushy lifestyle when he was asked by the RTE Radio One host how many pensions he was currently receiving, to which he replied: “Oh quite a number. I am doing fine. I am very happy.”
“But I can say this. I would not begrudge the Taoiseach, the Ministers, or all the TDs and Senators the monies they are getting because let’s face facts. “The fact is that every TD . . . there is something going on in all the parishes in his or her constituency, the first person asked to support the £100 raffle or the £50 raffle is the TD.”
Mr McSharry added: “And what they have left, they have to live.”