Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I note that Deputy Ó Caoláin's questions concerned the allowances paid to former taoisigh. This gives the impression, repeated in his supplementary question, that the money is allocated to individual officeholders and subsequently dispensed. These sums are the wages paid directly to the secretarial assistants employed by former taoisigh. The money is not given to former taoisigh; it pays the salaries of people who work for them, as outlined in the scheme.

The Deputy may take the view that former taoisigh should not be accorded any assistance or support. Former taoisigh remain public persons and continue to play roles under the Constitution and as former incumbents of the highest political office in the land. I do not make any distinction and hold all former taoisigh in the same esteem, as we all should. I regard this as an issue to be dealt with in the context of the work they do and the employment of secretarial assistants to support them in doing that work. It is not correct to suggest that the money is an allowance or payment in order to feed into a cynical view that it is intended as an aggrandisement. I do not agree with that suggestion and would like to accord some dignity to the matter.

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