Minister Howlin increases the amount TDs can spend.

It  appears Austerity is just for those who cant afford it.

Brendan Howlin's decision to increase the amount TDs can spend on secretarial and PR services is a retrograde step.

With public anger at TDs' extravagant expenses at close to boiling point, agreeing to increases that could effectively cost the taxpayer a further €1m a year sets a dreadful example.

As we report today, TDs were on average managing to spend only two-thirds of their "unvouched" (that is they didn't have to produce receipts) annual expenses of €25,700. The logical response from the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to this situation should have been to cut the unvouched expenses allowance to the amount that TDs were actually spending.