The Taoiseach has said the Government will take the necessary tough choices in Tuesday's Budget to stabilise the budgetary situation.
At Fianna Fáil's annual Wolfe Tone commemoration at Bodenstown, Co Kildare, Mr Cowen told the gathering that the Irish people would not want the Government to avoid difficult decisions.
He said the Budget would take the tough choices necessary to ensure economic and fiscal stability.
Mr Cowen also stressed the importance of the EU in dealing with the economic crisis and not be in a situation where other member states view us as obstructing progress.
Mr Cowen called for a comprehensive, rational and intelligent debate on the issues raised during the Lisbon Referendum, and said he would engage with EU partners on how those concerns can be allayed.
The Minister for Finance, Brian Lenihan said people should not be worried about the Budget saying there was nothing to fear, but fear itself.
The Taoiseach travelled to Paris after the ceremony for an emergency meeting of leaders from the 15 countries that use the Euro.
