GOVERNMENT MINISTERS IN Ireland have received some €27 million in pay and expenses since the coalition was formed in 2011.

An examination of figures by the RTÉ Investigations Unit shows the Taoiseach tops the list as he has been paid more than €780,000 in salary, expenses and other costs between March 2011 and December last year.

Nine other senior politicians were paid or reimbursed more than €700,000. They are:

• Simon Coveney
• Jimmy Deenihan
• Leo Varadkar
• Phil Hogan
• James Reilly
• Michael Noonan
• Brendan Howlin
• Joan Burton 
• Eamon Gilmore

Costs for a further 16 senior politicians was in excess of €600,000.

Minister Joan Burton did not take the allowance she is entitled to as Tánaiste, which would be approximately €15,000 annually and at least one government minister chose not to take part of their salary.

• View the full RTÉ database

During that time €165,608 was paid for ministerial mobiles and broadband while an additional €75,601 was paid for landlines at home or in constituency offices.

RTÉ said none of the figures in its database relate to staffing or secretarial arrangements for ministers or their overseas travel. Pay and allowances have been dropping steadily since the election.

Originally published 6.15pm

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