Recently elected Socialist Party MEP Joe Higgins uses his entire €26,000-a-year pension as a former TD to fund a variety of causes close to his heart, including the recent failed 'No to Lisbon' campaign, the Sunday Tribune has learned.

However, in his response to a series of questions from this newspaper, he did not say if he would be willing to forgo some or all of this payment in light of the current economic difficulties faced by the government.

Instead, he stressed that he does not take a "cent of this [money] for my personal use".

Higgins, who took up his role with the European parliament last July, told the Sunday Tribune that, prior to winning his seat, he was dependent upon his ex-TD's pension to survive.

He said he takes "no more than" the equivalent average industrial wage after tax from his MEP's salary, and donates the remainder to a variety of causes, including the Socialist Party.

"With regards to my Dáil pension, I will not take a cent of this for my personal use. On my proposal, the Socialist Party has decided to set up a Pension Solidarity Fund into which the entire salary will be paid each month," he said. "These funds will be used to assist workers fighting for their rights and to assist community groups and campaigns who need financial assistance."

To date, three payments of €1,919.34 each for the months of August, September and October, have been paid into this solidarity fund, which was the equivalent of the monthly pension after tax, he said.

He revealed that donations from the fund so far included €2,050 to the Campaign Against the EU Constitution, €1,000 to the Dockers' Strike Support Group and the same amount to the Coca-Cola workers strike support group.

Higgins comments on the use of his ex-TD's pension follow last week's report in the Sunday Tribune that a number of senior former Oireachtas members and ministers are in receipt of large combined pensions, despite the fact they have since gone on to earn six-figure sums in their current roles.

These include the government's nominee to become Europe's next European Commissioner, Maire Geoghegan-Quinn, who receives a pension of over €107,000, in addition to her estimated €180,000-a-year salary as a member of the European Court of Auditors.

It also includes outgoing EU commissioner Charlie McCreevy, who received a combined TD and ministerial pension last year of more than €125,000, and former taoiseach and EU ambassador to the US, John Bruton, who received a pension of over €150,000.

However, all three refused to say if they would be willing to forgo some or all of these payments in view of the current economic crisis facing the state.