Michael O'Leary takes a pop at 'nuts' British policy and fans Cork and Waterford rivalry

From left: Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary; Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson; and Enterprise, Trade and Employment Minister Leo Varadkar at an event in the Merrion Hotel, Dublin, on Wednesday to mark Ryanair’s 35-year contribution to the economy and announce 2,000 jobs by 2030. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

What the British Government is doing is “nuts”, the entry point for the higher rate of tax in Ireland should be €50,000, and Ryanair offering routes at Waterford Airport could come at the expense of Cork.

Never one to mince his words, Michael O’Leary was his usual brash self when addressing media, civil servants and politicians in Dublin’s Merrion Hotel on Wednesday.