New figures released this evening by the Department of Finance show that pensions paid to former Government ministers totalled €4.7m last year.
The Finance Accounts for 2011 show that former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern earned a gross pension of €83,000 last year, Brian Cowen earned €79,000, John Bruton €91,000 and Albert Reynolds almost €100,000.
The figures also show that severance payments to former ministers in 2011 totalled €1.1m.
Allowances to political parties fell to €7.2m last year from €8m in 2010.
