Madam, – The reason given by the Government for failing to abolish ministerial pension payments for sitting TDs is disingenuous. If it was unconstitutional to cut them by 100 per cent, then it follows it is almost certainly unconstitutional to cut them by 25 per cent.
It is more likely that a compromise was arrived at, with those facing the abolition of these pensions, including some very senior members of Fianna Fáil who had previously professed to being very unhappy with the policy. The trump card that they held was a threat to resign their seats to avail of their pension rights, thus forcing a number of byelections on a Government hanging on by its fingernails. – Yours, etc,