Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton has denied that there is a risk of a coalition split over proposals to reform the JLC wage setting mechanism.
Mr Bruton acknowledged that opinions within the two parties differed but said there was evidence reform of the system would open up job opportunities for more people.
He added that if the reforms were easy they would have been done a long time ago.
Earlier in the Dáil the Taoiseach said both Fine Gael and Labour have agreed in principle to reform the system that sets pay agreements for the low paid.
He said the Cabinet will continue its discussion to change the Joint Labour Committee (JLCs) system but it was quite normal for people to have a range of views on the matter.
Enda Kenny was responding to a question from Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, who criticised the Cabinet for failing to reach a decision on the issue.
Mr Martin suggested there was division among ministers on the issue and said the 200,000 people affected need clarity on the matter.
He said the spectacle of ministers briefing against each other should stop.
He also said the recommendations from the independent report into the matter should be implemented.
In response, the Taoiseach said reform will take place and said the latest figures confirm a continuing drop in employment in the sectors most affected by the JLCs.
Criticism from bishops
Meanwhile, the country's Catholic bishops have criticised Minister Bruton's proposal to cut Sunday pay.
They say the proposal is a further example of the most vulnerable in society being asked to bear the cost of the economic crisis.
In a statement, the bishops say that a cut in Sunday pay would make it more attractive to trade on Sundays and this 'would further undermine the vital recognition of the Sabbath as a day of rest and, for many, a sacred day of prayer'.
The bishops say protecting the traditional day of rest is vital to the physical, psychological and spiritual well-being of very many people and that in a lot of households it is the only time when the whole family can be together.
They say that, given the day's value, it is unsurprising that many who find themselves obliged to work on Sundays are on lower incomes and struggling to make ends meet or even experiencing poverty.
The bishops say it is unjust to ask such people to contribute further to addressing the cost of the economic crisis while high earners continue to receive huge bonuses.
