Tánaiste and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has accused three Fine Gael junior ministers of undermining the budgetary process.
He described as "unhelpful" a recent newspaper article by the ministers of state where they called for a budget tax break of €1,000 for the average worker.
The ministers in question are Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Martin Heydon and Peter Burke.
Mr Martin has assured his party that Minister for Finance Michael McGrath has overall responsibility for the budgetary process and he will ensure that he gets the space to do his job, saying the public would expect no less.
Mr Martin told the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting in Leinster House that he was particularly conscious of the needs of people living with disability, pensioners and carers.
He said the Government is engaged in a collective budgetary process and this will be guided by the Programme for Government where it was agreed to reduce the tax burden and to increase spending on public services.
He added that his party would always seek to protect workers on fixed, low and middle incomes.
The Tánaiste urged TDs and senators to engage directly with ministers if they have any proposals for the budget.
No one is bullying anyone - Coveney
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney said he does not believe that the junior ministers intended "to upset anyone" with their newspaper article.
He said they were reflecting the Fine Gael policy, which he also supports.
"When the economy is growing, we should give what many people call the squeezed middle a break from a tax point of view," he said.
The Minister said being in coalition does not mean that political parties are the same.
No one is bullying anyone, he added.
"Different parties have different priorities in Government ... and at different times those priorities appear in newspapers and opinion pieces and so on."
Reports from the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party last night suggested its politicians are "fully behind" the three junior ministers who wrote the Irish Independent article.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the meeting there is scope for an income tax, welfare and pensions package in the Budget.
Mr Varadkar said he expects the Programme for Government commitments on relieving the tax burden on middle-income earners to be honoured.
He said the Government would have to take decisions on whether to reduce the national debt, increase spending on national infrastructure or set aside money for future pension liabilities.
The party plans to hold a meeting next month to discuss its Budget priorities.
