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Greedy Mary McAleese keeps €141k pension

  • 28-09-2013 01:13PM
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 59,758 ✭✭✭✭


    It's disgraceful, Mary. You're already a multi-millionaire. Do the right thing and give up the state pension, we can't afford to pay you that kind of money any more.

    Linky


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Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,547 ✭✭✭Foxhound38


    It's disgraceful Joe - she should be paying us money, not the other way around :rolleyes:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 29,817 ✭✭✭✭Quazzie


    unkel wrote: »
    It's disgraceful, Mary. You're already a multi-millionaire. Do the right thing and give up the state pension, we can't afford to pay you that kind of money any more.

    Linky

    Complain if you like that she shouldn't be getting that amount as a pension but I think it's a bit much to complain that she didn't give it back.

    She might be worth a lot of money on paper, but that doesn't mean she has a lot of money.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 960 ✭✭✭cletus van damme


    don't be giving out about saint mary , she invented the peace process don't you know.:pac:
    also coincidentally her husband ended up appointed a senator , I heard he was a really talented guy and in no way his wife's position had any bearing in his appointment
    really.:rolleyes:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,547 ✭✭✭Foxhound38


    unkel wrote: »
    It's disgraceful, Mary. You're already a multi-millionaire. Do the right thing and give up the state pension, we can't afford to pay you that kind of money any more.

    Linky

    I bet she drives a nicer car than you too OP - morally she should give that back too :rolleyes:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,166 ✭✭✭Fr_Dougal


    unkel wrote: »
    It's disgraceful, Mary. You're already a multi-millionaire. Do the right thing and give up the state pension, we can't afford to pay you that kind of money any more.

    Linky

    Seriously? You'd actually begrudge her the state pension before Cowen and Ahern?


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 10,325 ✭✭✭✭Dozen Wicked Words


    Fr_Dougal wrote: »
    Seriously? You'd actually begrudge her the state pension before Cowen and Ahern?

    I think you can begrudge all three.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,266 ✭✭✭3rdDegree


    don't be giving out about saint mary , she invented the peace process don't you know.:pac:
    also coincidentally her husband ended up appointed a senator , I heard he was a really talented guy and in no way his wife's position had no play in his appointment.
    really.:rolleyes:

    How did you all become so cynical :(


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,444 ✭✭✭✭Skid X


    Mrs Robinson gave up €15,499 in 2011, but the accounts show she gave nothing in 2012.

    However, a spokesperson said she had yet to finalise her financial affairs from last year, and could yet return some of her pension to the taxpayer.

    So that money is just resting in her account. :rolleyes:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,933 ✭✭✭✭thebaz


    Foxhound38 wrote: »
    I bet she drives a nicer car than you too OP - morally she should give that back too :rolleyes:

    if she is Independtly wealthy , she should give it back , especially given her and Mary Robinson's political person's was always as the nice ones - so yeah, if she can afford it give it back , but if she is broke like me and many others , then fair eneogh.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 29,817 ✭✭✭✭Quazzie


    thebaz wrote: »
    if she is Independtly wealthy , she should give it back , especially given her and Mary Robinson's political person's was always as the nice ones - so yeah, if she can afford it give it back , but if she is broke like me and many others , then fair eneogh.

    Why should she give it back? She served her time for this country and that's the figure that our government has given her for her service.

    Under your theory anyone that has money or worth over a million should work for no wages and instead give it to the Government. There's a word for that kind of system ;)


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,053 ✭✭✭Badly Drunk Boy


    However, all pensions will be reduced further from the amounts detailed in the latest accounts since the Haddington Road Agreement introduced cuts to pensions for politicians and high-ranking civil servants.

    Mr Ahern and Mr Cowen will lose around €30,147 each annually, although the reductions only came into effect from July 1 and will not be reflected until the 2013 Finance Accounts.

    A lot of people would be happy to earn that much annually, yet they're only losing that amount... :mad:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,547 ✭✭✭Foxhound38


    thebaz wrote: »
    if she is Independtly wealthy , she should give it back , especially given her and Mary Robinson's political person's was always as the nice ones - so yeah, if she can afford it give it back , but if she is broke like me and many others , then fair eneogh.

    I bet her house is bigger than ours too - she should give that back! Bedsit should be good enough for her! :mad:

    And is that M&S I seen her shopping in?? :mad:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 59,758 ✭✭✭✭unkel


    I don't begrudge her the pension she is by all means legally (if not morally) entitled too, but if she had any grace, she'd give (most of) it up.

    And in the meantime we need to change the program

    Retired president of Ireland - pension €141k
    Retired president of the United States of America - pension €141k

    That's just ridiculous. And we can not afford it.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25,494 ✭✭✭✭My name is URL


    Why single her out? There's dozens of 'millionaire' former politicians still receiving sky-high pensions


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,806 ✭✭✭D1stant


    In other news a Nurse in Galway apparently is drawing down her FULL salary. Disgace


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,933 ✭✭✭✭thebaz


    Quazzie wrote: »
    Why should she give it back? She served her time for this country and that's the figure that our government has given her for her service.

    Under your theory anyone that has money or worth over a million should work for no wages and instead give it to the Government. There's a word for that kind of system ;)

    completly different , she and Mary robinson based ther political / presidential outlook on being ethically honest, kind of the polar opposite to the Fianna Fail mantra of greed - so as I said, if she is indepently wealthy and wants to uphold her credibilty , she should forego her pension , when so many people in the irish state are suffering incredible poverty today, I believe people should be judged on what they do , not what they say , and that goes for ex Presidents.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,547 ✭✭✭Foxhound38


    I once saw a civil servant buy a cup of tea AND a Snack Bar at a Cafe!

    DISGRACEFUL! Some people can't AFFORD Snack Bars!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,147 ✭✭✭PizzamanIRL


    Put yourself in her shoes. Would you say no to 141k? I doubt it.

    141k won't get Ireland back on it's feet.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 29,817 ✭✭✭✭Quazzie


    unkel wrote: »
    I don't begrudge her the pension she is by all means legally (if not morally) entitled too, but if she had any grace, she'd give (most of) it up.

    And in the meantime we need to change the program

    Retired president of Ireland - pension €141k
    Retired president of the United States of America - pension €141k

    That's just ridiculous. And we can not afford it.

    See the thing is, a former president can't really go back to work. They can't go back to teaching, selling cars, building houses, whatever it is they used to do, so they need a pension. They can't be expected to live in a bedsit either so a tiny pension wouldn't be enough. They need adequate income because they can't work, have to live in above normal accommodation, and also need to live a somewhat prosperous life. €141k might be excessive, but reallistically it probably isn't too far off what a former president should be getting for their standing in out society.

    Where I would look for changes is that any more earned in "retirement" comes off their pension. So if she earns €10k from giving after dinner speeches etc, then the government only gives her a pension of €131k. Basically the Government should be subsidizing the income of these people, not boosting it to ridiculous figures.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,547 ✭✭✭Foxhound38


    thebaz wrote: »
    completly different , she and Mary robinson based ther political / presidential outlook on being ethically honest, kind of the polar opposite to the Fianna Fail mantra of greed - so as I said, if she is indepently wealthy and wants to uphold her credibilty , she should forego her pension , when so many people in the irish state are suffering incredible poverty today, I believe people should be judged on what they do , not what they say , and that goes for ex Presidents.

    How incredibly dishonest of her to draw the pension her former office entitled her to - disgrace Joe, absolute disgrace! :mad:


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 59,758 ✭✭✭✭unkel


    Why single her out? There's dozens of 'millionaire' former politicians still receiving sky-high pensions

    Because she gets more state pension than anybody else in this country.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,218 ✭✭✭✭Bannasidhe


    Quazzie wrote: »
    See the thing is, a former president can't really go back to work. They can't go back to teaching, selling cars, building houses, whatever it is they used to do, so they need a pension. They can't be expected to live in a bedsit either so a tiny pension wouldn't be enough. They need adequate income because they can't work, have to live in above normal accommodation, and also need to live a somewhat prosperous life. €141k might be excessive, but reallistically it probably isn't too far off what a former president should be getting for their standing in out society.

    Where I would look for changes is that any more earned in "retirement" comes off their pension. So if she earns €10k from giving after dinner speeches etc, then the government only gives her a pension of €131k. Basically the Government should be subsidizing the income of these people, not boosting it to ridiculous figures.

    ummm...didn't Mary Robinson get a well paid gig with the United Nations for which she cut short her second term as President?

    As for McAleese - nice gig as visiting scholar at Boston College....and yes, there is a payment for this as she is deemed to be holding a chair (i.e professorship) so she is getting at least another 140k p.a for that. http://www.bc.edu/content/bc/offices/pubaf/news/2013-mar-apr/mary-mcaleese-to-be-visiting-scholar-at-boston-college.html


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 246 ✭✭mrbrown69


    While old age pensioners go to Mountjoy for a fking tv license politicians and bankers who banjaxxed this country for decades sit in their retirement ivory towers...sums up this country...FUBAR


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,547 ✭✭✭Foxhound38


    Ban salaries over 30K I say, on pain of exile!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,467 ✭✭✭✭McDermotX


    The right question to be asking is why is there a need for a president at all, along with all the associated costs relating to salary, pensions, running costs, expenses etc...

    Ridiculous position that in reality offers no tangible benefit or requirement that could not be re-apportioned. Needs to be scrapped completely, even if it meant only saving a couple hundred quid.

    No respect for the office........in fact, I find it offensive.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,547 ✭✭✭Foxhound38


    McDermotX wrote: »
    The right question to be asking is why is there a need for a president at all, along with all the associated costs relating to salary, pensions, running costs, expenses etc...

    Ridiculous position that in reality offers no tangible benefit or requirement that could not be re-apportioned. Needs to be scrapped completely, even if it meant only saving a couple hundred quid.

    No respect for the office........in fact, I find it offensive.

    Our entire political system offers little in the way of tangible benefit - should we scrap everything and turn into an anarchist collective because we begrudge public salaries?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,933 ✭✭✭✭thebaz


    Foxhound38 wrote: »
    How incredibly dishonest of her to draw the pension her former office entitled her to - disgrace Joe, absolute disgrace! :mad:

    yes your honour, when the country is in such a ****ing financial mess, and so much hardship around , is it too much to expect all politicians not to act like corrupt Fianna Failers , especially those that based ther campaigns on honesty and ethics. Nothing legally wrong obviously , but ethically i have a problem , if she can well afford to forego pension , especially when many of the poorer sections of our society are being squeezed for basic human needs.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,867 ✭✭✭Nermal


    Foxhound38 wrote: »
    Our entire political system offers little in the way of tangible benefit - should we scrap everything and turn into an anarchist collective because we begrudge public salaries?

    I begrudge wasted public salaries, yes. The president has no power, the position is pointless. If we need someone to represent the country at a function, send one of the dozens of ministers we appear to have these days.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,139 ✭✭✭afatbollix


    Foxhound38 wrote: »
    Ban salaries over 30K I say, on pain of exile!

    Ya Communism worked so well.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,467 ✭✭✭✭McDermotX


    Foxhound38 wrote: »
    Our entire political system offers little in the way of tangible benefit - should we scrap everything and turn into an anarchist collective because we begrudge public salaries?

    Best thing you can do when trying to save money, is to cut away what is essentially useless fat in all areas. Something that offers nothing beyond yet another expense slip submitted, yet offers nothing of any benefit beyond filling a photo or a 3min spot on RTE news.

    Frankly my disdain for the particular office goes far beyond 'begrudging' public salaries. Every minute that position is still in place costs us all money, and yet it appears to be off the table for any change.

    It's a disgrace Joe..........


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