PAC to examine 1,000 allowances as just one is cut

More than 1,000 allowances paid to public sector staff will be examined by the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) after the Government abandoned plans to abolish them for existing workers.

The spending watchdog will also meet with Brendan Howlin, the public expenditure and reform minister, who came under criticism this week for his failure to cut €75m from the allowances bill as promised.

Instead, just €3.5m will be saved, Mr Howlin said on Tuesday.