THE MINISTER FOR Employment has said that some of the ten government ministers who were overpaid due to administration errors have sought clarification on the sums owed.

The errors, which came to light last June, occurred due to confusion about pension contributions.

At the Finance Committee last night, Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers said that of the 32 current senior and junior ministers who owed money due to the error, only 24 have refunded the costs or are in a repayment plan.

The sums owed may range from hundreds of euro to just above €30,000.

Speaking at Leaders’ Questions in the Dáil, Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty today said there was an “absence of accountability” and that ministers are “holding out”.

However, Enterprise and Employment Minister Peter Burke said the issue was “not the fault of any politician or any former civil servant”, but an error by the NSSO (National Shared Services Office), which manages payroll for the government and public bodies.

“What has happened here is that through a series of government decisions where ministers took a deduction in their pay (a salary sacrifice), the question was posed, should the pension deduction calculation be on the gross salary or the net amount,” said Burke.

After the financial crash of 2008, it was agreed that pay for public servants, including government ministers, should be cut.

The Public Interest Act, known as Fempi, also put an end to extra payments to TDs and Senators for many years of service.

Burke said the NSSO is currently carrying out a review of the errors, the findings of which will be reported in March.

He said that since the ministers were informed that they owed the money, “a number of clarifiications have been sought in relation to the calculations”.

“Everyone has the right to ensure that they are paying the correct amount, and every single minister wants to ensure that they are doing that,” said Burke.

He added: “The government is crystal clear that any retired civil servant or minister who does not comply or pay back what is due to the exchequer will not receive their pension, because this is a key requirement in funding your pension.”

Doherty criticised the delay, saying ministers “who earn salaries and pensions far out of reach of the ordinary person” are “still sitting on taxpayers’ money”.

He said that if a pensioner was overpaid by the Department of Social Protection, they wouldn’t be allowed seven months to repay the money, like politicians have.

“Why is it one rule for ordinary people and another rule for government ministers? Why is the ordinary worker or pensioner given little or no time yet the ministers, some of them on up to €200,000, think it’s okay for them not to repay the public?”

Burke contradicted this claim, saying the Department works out payment plans that “respect vulnerable people” in such cases.