Ministers have been meeting in Government Buildings as they try to put the finishing touches to the Budget.
Welfare and health have emerged as the most difficult areas - with Labour trying to defend one, and Fine Gael looking to ringfence the other.
The discussions come ahead of Fine Gael's national conference this evening, where the fallout from the Seanad referendum is likely to be a major topic.
Our political correspondent Gavan Reilly reports.
