Pat ‘the Cope’ Gallagher receives almost €54,000 in MEP pension

Former Irish MEPs have been paid nearly 1.8 million euro in pension payments since the beginning of 2017.
They include former Irish presidential candidates Mary Banotti, Dana Rosemary Scallon and Gay Mitchell.
Donegal Deputy and Leas-Cheann Comhairle, Pat ‘the Cope’ Gallagher, is also on the list.
According to details released under the Freedom of Information Act, 33 former Irish MEPs or their spouses have been paid a total nearly 1.8 million euro in pension payments since the beginning of 2017.
Mary Banotti, who was a Fine Gael MEP for the Dublin constituency for 20 years, has received more than 130,000 euro.
Her party colleague Gay Mitchell, who was in Brussels for 10 years, has been paid 30,200 euro during the same timeframe.
Another former Irish presidential candidate, Dana Rosemary Scallon, who was an MEP for five years, has received nearly 32,400 euro.
Leitrim’s Joe McCartin was an MEP for 25 years – he has pocketed 144,000 euro in pension payments since 2017.
Leas-cheann comhairle Pat ‘the Cope’ Gallagher is the only current TD on the list – since 2017, he has received nearly 54,000 euro in pension payments for his three terms as an MEP.