Blame game

ATTEMPTS by Brendan Howlin to shift the blame for the defeat of the Oireachtas inquiries referendum have backfired after he became embroiled in a row with the independent Referendum Commission.

The Public Expenditure and Reform Minister was forced to backtrack on criticism of the commission’s chairman, retired High Court judge Bryan McMahon, after Mr Howlin was acc-used of “personalising” the issue.

Mr Howlin has now said he only commented on Dr McMahon’s performance as “shorthand for the views of the commission” as a whole.