Minister for Finance Michael Noonan has today warned that a 'No' vote in the EU Treaty referendum will mean a "dramatically more difficult" Budget in December.

Minister Noonan made the comments as Fine Gael prepares to launch its campaign in support of the treaty.

Minister Noonan also said that the chances of the IMF lending money to Ireland in the event of a 'No' vote are remote.

He stated that if people think rejecting the treaty means rejecting austerity, they are wrong.

"If there's a 'No' vote, the Budget I'll be planning for later in the year will be dramatically more difficult than if there's a 'Yes' vote," he said.