Micheál Martin: “There has been an increased focus on European competitiveness at the European Council, and leaders will return to…”

What we're witnessing is growth in expenditure.

If that's not a platform for negotiations, I don't know what is.

We will be growing expenditure this year. There's no cuts here.

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.