Minister for Health Leo Varadkar has said he doesn't mind "being slapped down or scolded", adding he "absolutely" follows Taoiseach Enda Kenny's leadership.
His comments come after Mr Kenny gave Mr Varadkar a public rebuke this week, saying budget negotiations should be kept behind closed doors and he wanted solutions in the Department of Health rather than reasons why things could not be done.
Minister for Finance Michael Noonan also said he had spoken to Mr Varadkar about his comments that the Government could give €5 or €10 back to people in the budget.
The pair were speaking at the opening of the Fine Gael parliamentary party think in at Fota Island in Cork, where Ministers were questioned about Mr Kenny's rebuke of Mr Varadkar in recent days.
Mr Kenny himself said it was important Ministers worked towards Government policy, and refrained from making public statements on the budget.
When asked if he had apologised to Mr Kenny, Mr Varadkar replied: “That’s not quite the case.
“The Taoiseach was very clear that he doesn’t want Ministers to be speculating about the details of the budget and he’s totally right about that,” Mr Varadkar said.
“But at the same time I’m the Minister for Health. I believe I have a responsibility to defend health services and I am going to continue to do that and as well as that I am very committed to health sector reform but that has to happen in a way that is workable and deliverable and I think the Taoiseach understands that very well.
“I don’t mind being slapped down or scolded. I’m a big boy and I’m willing to take a degree of criticism from time to time but, at the same time, this isn’t about me, it’s not about my dignity, it’s not about by ego.
“It’s about frontline staff and it’s about patients and it’s about our health services which affect all of us. I have tremendous respect for the Taoiseach. I am here entirely at his discretion. I absolutely take leadership from him and there’s no doubt about that.”
Mr Noonan said he had spoken to Mr Varadkar about his budget comments.
“I have spoken to Leo. I think Leo is a very good minister and a very good communicator,” Mr Noonan said. “I spoke to him in particular about suggested specific amounts of tax relief in the budget.
“What he was trying to communicate was we have very little scope in the budget for tax relief. His figures were illustrative rather than any prediction about what might be in the budget.”
