Micheál Martin: “Ireland cannot be self-defeating in how it approaches the fixtures.”

We need to be economically competitive in order to sustain the European way of life.

It makes sense that you monitor the market, of course it does, otherwise you are filling the pockets of the oil companies.

It obviously won't be easy. There are very different views around the table, both about how we raise our money, and how we spend it.

It will be of benefit to elected councillors and will give them a greater degree of powers.