Fianna Fail has called on the Government to ease the planned €3.1 billion in spending cuts and tax hikes in next year's Budget.

The party, which is holding its Ard Fheis in Dublin this weekend, said the coalition must ease the adjustments and invest in the economy instead.

Fianna Fail said it accepts responsibility for the mistakes it made in office but said Fine Gael and Labour must now accept their responsibility in power.

The party's Finance spokesperson, Michael McGrath, said austerity alone will not solve the crisis and said the mortgage arrears issue must also be addressed: