Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The late James Dillon, who led my party in a distinguished fashion for a number of years, used to say that politics is a vocation that draws people into stormy waters as well as calm. This is true. Everybody who serves in this House, for any party or none, understands that. This profession has taken a beating on many fronts - some justified and some not. I have never accepted that it is unconstitutional for the Government to legislate to put an end to the payment of ministerial pensions to people who continue to serve in the Oireachtas. Prior to last year's budget, Fine Gael proposed as part of its pre-budget submission that legislation should be introduced to end the receipt of legitimate ministerial pensions by all serving Members of the Oireachtas. The Minister for Finance refused to divulge to me the legal advice that was given by the Attorney General in this regard. I understand it relates to the principle of legitimate expectation. In July of last year, the Government brought a Bill through the Oireachtas giving effect to a new law whereby from the first day of the next Dáil, no Member with ministerial experience who is entitled to a ministerial pension shall receive such a pension. The Government followed that by reducing the scale of the pensions paid to people who formerly served as Ministers.

Today, the Fine Gael Party has published a Bill that would immediately terminate the payment of ministerial pensions to serving Members of the Oireachtas. My challenge to the Taoiseach is to accept the Fine Gael Bill and thereby put an end to this practice for once and for all, in the interests of all concerned. The relentless pursuit of individuals could then finally be dealt. If this proposal is not accepted, I intend to place our Bill before the Dáil during next week's Private Members' business so that it can be voted on by Fianna Fáil and Green Party Deputies on the Government side. I ask the Taoiseach to accept this Bill as a means of bringing an end to this practice. I want him to understand that if the Government votes it down, all of those Fine Gael Members who are legally entitled to draw ministerial pensions will voluntarily give up such pensions, or give them to charity.

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