Micheál Martin: “We don't want to damage ourselves unnecessarily.”

I was involved in these issues in the previous government and agreement was hammered out at that stage - an agreement was arrived at, and we want to do well by honouring that agreement on all sides.

I believe that parliamentary democracy matters. People may criticise it and so on, but it's not a routine sort of service. It is the expression of the democratic will of the people in parliament. I think that matters, and that should be…

The rate of growth is declining. But to use words like ‘brutal’ is completely over the top, if you don't mind me saying so, and a gross exaggeration.

This budget can't be seen in isolation.