The Minister for Foreign Affairs has been outlining Ireland's priorities when it takes over the presidency of the European Union in January.
At a news conference in Brussels, Brian Cowen appeared to rule out taking any initiative to reform the bloc's budget rules.
He said that the existing budget rules contained enough flexibility and had been applied appropriately on the deficits of Germany and France.
Mr Cowen held out no prospect of an early breakthrough in negotiations on an EU constitution which collapsed at a summit last Saturday, saying Ireland would consult, assess the situation, and report back to EU leaders.
He said that he was sure the EU would eventually resolve a dispute over voting rights pitting France and Germany against Spain and Poland, which sank the summit.
