JUST AS Minister of State Ciaran Cuffe is about to lose his day job with the collapse of the Government, he can look forward to a regular income from a shop he owns on Fade Street in Dublin city centre.

Cuffe recently carried out an extensive fit-out of the shop and has now agreed letting terms with a foodstore operator. His agent, North’s, had been quoting a rent of €20,000 a year for the shop, which is on the small side with less than 28.7sq m (300sq ft) on the ground floor and a slightly bigger area in the basement.

The rent is small potatoes compared to the €139,000-odd he earns as a junior minister, and that’s not including expenses.

Cuffe will be hoping to retain his Dáil seat in Dún Laoghaire-

Rathdown, which is likely to be one of the most hotly contested constituencies following the reduction of the number of seats from five to four.