Tanáiste Eamon Gilmore said the Government had produced a budget in very difficult times that has protected the most vulnerable.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland today, Mr Gilmore said they had achieved the reduction in public expenditure that was required, while not increasing tax and protecting social welfare payments.
"We have produced a budget in very difficult times that does not increase taxes, protects social welfare, protects basic rates of child benefit and services to people with disabilities and at the same time we have managed to achieve reduction in public expenditure that is required," he said.
"When you reduce expenditure there is no easy way of doing it. There are consequences. We have set out to do it as fairly and as reasonably as possible. The reason we have to do it is so we can get our economy back to recovery."
Mr Gilmore defended the cut in the disability allowance to people in the 16-18 age group saying it was a question of moving to a "standard rate of payment to people of the same age."
On the same programme, Minister for Health James Reilly admitted there was no area of the health service that would be immune from cuts.
"If you seek to protect one area you impact on others. The figures are daunting but I'm determined to succeed."
However he said "no-one would die because of health cuts."
"That's a certainty. All staff will ensure that won't happen. We have to work differently though. We face challenges."
He also admitted the increase in the costs of private beds in public hospitals would lead to an increase in health insurance premiums.
"I can't predict how many people will drop their insurance. These are tough times. We face an uphill struggle and we need to change the way we deliver services."
Ictu general secretary David Begg said the budget would have a negative effect on employment. He said the Government needed to ask the EU/IMF for some slack.
"Angela Merkel's policy seems to be austerity on steroids. That is not sustainable. We have to be cut some slack or we can't get out of this."