Government can cut vulgar pensions

Former taoisigh Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen have had their pensions 'reduced' to €142,655.

In yesterday's Irish Times David Gwynn Morgan, emeritus professor of law at UCC, argues that Government has scope to reduce such pensions to a scale comensurate to the current crisis.

It makes little sense for Government to 'slash and burn', especially the most vulnerable and fragile and at the same time to leave Mr Cowen and Mr Ahern with weekly cheques of €2,743. It's by the week the less well-off manage their budgets.

Two men who oversaw the destuction of this State paid such pensions can't make sense.

But it is not just the former taoisigh, judges, senior civil servants and other senior managers in the public and priavte sector are simply paid vulgar pensions.