Ministers and parliamentary secretaries in the old government received a total of €1.67 million in controversial pay rises but refunded €299,566, according to a reply to a parliamentary question.

The prime minister said in a written reply that the ministers and parliamentary secretaries were paid a total of €1,331,318 between May 2008 and December 2010 and an additional €355,558 between January 2011 and January 2012.

They refunded €299,566.

In May 2008, the Cabinet decided ministers and parliamentary secretaries would earn their MP’s honorarium over and above their salary. It was also decided to increase the honorarium to €26,700 from €19,100.

The raise, together with an additional raise in duty allowance, amounted to around €600 a week. That was later reduced to €500 a week in terms of the old honoraria rate. Ministers and parliamentary secretaries were therefore allowed to keep their second salary but were asked to refund the difference between €26,700 and €19,100.

The parliamentary question was put by Labour MP Chris Agius.