The Taoiseach has rejected a call from the Fine Gael leader for the Budget to be brought forward to next week. Enda Kenny said the budgetary process and a slimmed down Finance Bill could be completed by Christmas.
But Brian Cowen said the timeline for the budgetary process had been agreed with European Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn, and it was important to proceed with that to bring certainty.
Mr Cowen estimated that all the legislative announcements linked to the Budget - such as social welfare and finance bills - would be concluded by February.
He was responding to Labour leader Eamon Gilmore, who said the House would not pass all the legislative formalities until March at least, and the country could not do with a 'three-month period of doubt'.
Mr Cowen also said the Government's four-year plan would be published tomorrow.
Earlier, Mr Rehn said it was essential that Ireland passed its Budget in the timeline foreseen, adding this would be best done sooner than later. He was speaking following a confidential briefing with Irish MEPs in Strasbourg.
Speaking after the meeting, the Commissioner said that every day lost increased uncertainty and increased the economic and social cost. He added that Ireland needed to adopt the Budget, get it out of the way and move on. He also said that while he did not have a position on domestic politics, political stability was important.
Mr Rehn also reassured Irish MEPs about Ireland's determination to maintain its low corporate tax rate, according to the Fine Gael MEP Gay Mitchell.
Socialist MEP Joe Higgins walked out of the meeting with Mr Rehn after just two minutes. He said that the information was being shared only on the basis it was confidential and would not be divulged. He said not sharing the information would be a betrayal.
The Dublin MEP said it was unacceptable that Commissioner Rehn offered a choice between the kind of briefing he might give to the media or giving information that MEPs would be required to keep secret.
EU/IMF talks start 'in earnest'
The Minister for Finance has told the Dáil that detailed discussions with European and IMF officials to finalise a financial assistance programme have started in earnest.
Brian Lenihan said the programme would build on the budgetary adjustment and structural reforms being introduced by the Government. He said the programme would be endorsed by European finance ministers and the IMF.
The IMF's First Deputy Managing Director John Lipsky said talks between Ireland and the fund were moving forward quickly but it is up to the Irish government to make the necessary political decisions.
'Obviously our work there is technical, not political. Decisions have to be made by the government,' Lipsky told reporters in New York when asked about the impact on the negotiations of growing political instability in Ireland.
'Throwing Ireland out of euro not a good idea'
Throwing Ireland out of the euro zone or splitting the single currency area into a weak and a strong bloc should be ruled out as potential responses to Dublin's debt crisis, the Dutch Finance Minister said today.
'Throwing Ireland out of the euro is not a good idea, it would provoke a chain of unwanted effects,' Jan Kees de Jager told the RTL 7 television broadcaster.
'If you allowed southern countries to devalue, then this would hurt our exports and our economy,' he said.
Investors in Irish banks will have to take haircuts as part of a restructuring of Ireland's banking system, just like the country itself will have to pay dearly for outside help, he added.
'Shareholders and holders of subordinated bonds in Irish banks will have to bleed in a restructuring,' he said.
De Jager said Ireland would need to cut spending but had to be careful about raising taxes. 'It could be better to raise the VAT rate than the corporate tax rate,' he said.
