There has been much publicity about the current party in power in Ireland and how they've run the country into the ground with their bank bailouts (which are currently costing the taxpayer approx €90bn), so it should come as no suprise that with an impending election they're feeling less that confident about retaining power. Well now it seems that some people within the party are not going to wait to be voted out of power and are instead "retiring" at the end of the current Dail session. Some of the casualties so far include:
Minister for Justice Dermot Aherne is retiring at the end of the current Dail for medical reasons. Aherne has rheumatoid arthritis, and said it was a "painful medical condition necessitating heavy medication". He retires to a combined annual ministerial and TD’s pension of
€128,300.
Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey will be standing down at the next election. His decision was released on December 17th and is not related to ill-health. As a serving politican for 33 years, Dempsey stands to receive payments of over
€316,000, which include a tax-free pension lump sum of
€159,000, initial termination payments of
€56,900 over the first six months,
€29,500 over the second six months and
€70,730 in graduated ministerial payments. After the first year, he will receive a combined TD and ministerial pension of around
€134,000.
Beverley Cooper-Flynn also announced on December 17th that she would not contest the next election. Cooper-Flynn has a tempestuous relationship with the Fianna Fail party and was expelled twice over her political career. She was elected in 2009 as a independent TD and claimed allowances of
€41,000 per year on top of her salary of
€106,000.
The man at the helm while the economy crumbled around him, Bertie Ahern will also retire from politics before the next general election and this was confirmed in the Irish Times on New Years Day. Ahern will receive an estimated
€135,000 as a combined ministerial and TD’s pension. The ink was barely dry on his announcement when he slated his sucessor Brian Cowen. You gotta love the loyalty!
On January 6th, Minister of Defence Tony Kileen withdrew his name from the 2011 election upon receiving medical advise. He was diagnosed with bowel cancer 3 years ago.
TD Michael Woods also announced on January 6th that he would not contest the next election. Although he does not hold any cabinet position at the moment, he had previously served as Minister for Health (1979–81, 1982, 1994), Social Welfare (1979–81, 1982, 1987–91, 1993–94), Agriculture and Food (1991–92), The Marine (1992–93), Marine and Natural Resources (1997–2000) and Education and Science (2000–2002). While he was Minister for Education, he signed a controversial agreement with 18 Irish religious orders involved in child sex-abuse scandals which limited their compensation liability to the victims of abuse to only €128 million. This compensation scheme is project to eventually cost the Irish government, and therefore the Irish tax payers,
€1.35 billion. He will still be eligible for his hefty state pension.
Sligo TD Jimmy Devins was the next to announce his intention to step down before the 2011 election. He had a rare quality within the Fianna Fail party - a backbone - and quit as party whip when the government announced the closure of breast cancer services at Sligo General Hospital (which is in his constituency).
Minister for Housing and Local Services Michael Finneran and former Junior Minister Mary Wallace will also bow out before the next election.
The question now is whether Fianna Fail will actually have any candidates left for the next general election!
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