Examples of Gross Inequity in Treatment

While the Department of Finance, Department of Health and government ministers planned cuts to frontline services such as our PA services, top civil servants left with Celtic Tiger era wads of money.

Is this fair?

Imminent

Department of Education, Bridget McManus soon to retire on an annual pension of €114,000 per year, plus a tax-free lump sum of €204,000

January 2012

Department of Health secretary general, Michael Scanlon retires after 7 years in the job. His retirement package is worth €540,000 and an annual pension of €108,000. The package would pay for over 27,000 Personal Assistance hours, or 519 PA hours per week for a full year.

October 2011

Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation secretary general, Sean Gorman retires on a package worth €634,000. This would provide 31,700 personal assistance hours, or 609 hours per week for a full year.

September 2011

Department of Taoiseach secretary general, Dermot McCarthy retired. His retirement package gave him a tax free lump sum payment of €428,000 and an annual pension of over €142,000.

Mr McCarthy’s overall retirement package was worth €713,000, the equivalent of 35,650 hours of Personal Assistance or 685 PA hours per week for a year.

December 2009

Department of It Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs, Gerry Kearney retires on a package of severance pay €111,000, €333,000 tax-free lump sum and an annual pension of €101,000. Total package value €545,000 in 2009. This would provide 27,250 personal assistance hours, or 524 per week for a year.

September 2009

FAS director-general, Roddy Molloy, gets a fast tracked retirement package worth €4 million. This includes a free-gratis top up of €1.6 million. The €1.6 million free gratis top up equates to 80,000 personal assistance hours.