Tds’pensions to be kept hidden under data laws
DETAILS of bulky pensions and golden handshakes given to TDS when they retire will remain hidden due to EU data protection laws.
Millions of taxpayers’ money is given to former politicians every year but transparency on names and amounts has stopped after GDPR rules were adopted by the State this summer.
The Irish Mirror has learned the annual breakdown of pensions and details of the €13million in public funds paid every year to retired politicians will be kept under wraps.
In an election year this bonanza is boosted even further because outgoing TDS and those who lose their seats receive generous lump sums to ease them back into civilian life.
In 2016, these extra payments amounted to another €7million.
Many fatcat politicians who were criticised every year when the list was published will now breathe a sigh of relief as they are off the hook thanks to EU red tape.
GDPR has tightened the law around how others deal with your personal data.
The same protection has kicked in for ex-presidents and attorney generals who had their pensions listed every year.
The Department of Finance last year detailed the retirement pots splurge for 2016 and showed the biggest annual
winners are the former Fianna Fail taoisigh Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen.
They receive a massive pension of €135,000 each a year, even though they are both below the State retirement age. During their reigns, the country was plummeted into recession and many saw their take home pay slashed and taxes rise while unemployment hit 15%. Mr Cowen and Mr Ahern were among the last set of politicians to be able to draw their pension when they were only in their 50s. Politicians must wait until they are 66 to claim it, no matter what age they are when they lose their seat or retire.
Pension pot received each year by taoisigh
Ahern and Cowen
Mr Cowen