Dáil reaction: Green Party spokesman Dan Boyle accused the Government of introducing a Budget geared towards the next election. Its centre piece was the five-year childcare strategy which was about getting the Government "over the hump" of the next election.

"This is a Budget with one eye firmly fixed on that next election, but, unfortunately, one eye firmly shut to coming economic realities and threats."

Mr Boyle said the social welfare package was to be welcomed and went in the right direction.

However, he suspected that when they got into the minutiae, which they probably would not know until the Social Welfare Bill, they would find that the Government was still getting things wrong.

The fuel allowance should have been doubled, said Mr Boyle, and the people relying on the payment would find themselves worse off.

The Government was sending mixed messages on pensions.

"Our rate of pensions, despite the upward increases in recent years, is still one of the lowest in Europe as a proportion of the average income."

There were marginal increases for carers, but the Government had not addressed the central issue, which was the Victorian notion of the rules within the Department of Social and Family Affairs precluding people from receiving the payments if they were getting other social welfare allowances.

Sinn Féin spokesman Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said as far as his party was concerned, the real test was not rhetoric but putting into effect the Proclamation's aspiration of "cherishing all the children of the nation equally".

He said the early childhood supplement of €1,000 for each child a year was a disappointment.

"It will do little for those who cannot afford the very high cost of childcare places for their children. Similarly, the increase in child benefit should have been greater."

There was nothing in the Budget to provide for the 3,000 additional acute hospital beds needed to address the crisis in the health system. The Government could and should have extended the medical card to all those under 18, which would have cost €223 million, a very affordable sum in the context of the Budget.

Finian McGrath (Independent, Dublin North Central) said on behalf of his fellow independents he welcomed investment in health, education, disabilities, childcare and the elderly.

"But I also have to highlight the difficulties and the needs in these areas."

While the Minister had claimed to be giving priority to education, it had to be asked why, at a time of budgetary surplus, small disadvantaged inner city schools were being undermined by the Government.

Mr McGrath said that every week, three million hours were worked by 150,000 family carers.

He said fewer than one-in-six carers got the current allowance of €153.60 a week, although they were saving the State at least €600 weekly on alternative residential care.