Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Some time ago the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, announced he would effect a transformation of the system of allowances in the public sector. He stated he wanted to achieve savings of €75 million this year and €150 million next year. There is no question this was one of the big ideas of the new Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. If one analyses any of the commentators this morning, yesterday the Minister had to announce a humiliating climbdown, cave-in and huge retreat from his opening position. At the time, the headlines were quite significant with regard to the transformation that was about to happen. He was adamant he would achieve a fairly modest target of €75 million, which was less than 5% as it was €75 million out of €1.5 billion. In the end the Minister was in a position to make only one change in allowances. One allowance out of 1,100 was changed.

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