Howlin provokes fury by branding critics ‘simple’

A senior minister has caused uproar by branding critics of his failure to deliver promised €75m cuts in allowance payments as “simple”.

The attack by Brendan Howlin, the public sector reform minister, angered opposition parties who demanded he withdraw the “ignorant insult”.

Despite having to revise the promised €75m savings to just €3.5m as Mr Howlin abolished only one of 1,100 pay supplements, he insisted he had presided over major achievements.