MY BUDGET/Young Mother: Sinéad Gilmartin (28) believes the twin burdens of childcare costs and saving for a deposit on a house are killing the hopes of young people trying to get their first home.

Like many young couples, Sinéad and her fiancé both live at home with their parents while trying to save as they believe that rental payments are wasted money.

"I'd like to see tax relief on childcare introduced," says Sinéad, who has a 19-month-old daughter, Eimear.

"The cost of a crèche is so expensive in Dublin. Most places charge between €130 and €180 a week; that's the price of a mortgage for some people.

"I'd also like to see Child Benefit increased as well, by a decent amount this time. I think last year they increased it by €6. Sure that wouldn't cover the cost of a bag of nappies."

Sinéad, who works in the Department of Education in Dublin, would like to see the return of the first-time buyers' grant and believes its abolition in 2002 amounted to a broken promise by the Government.

"This Government is supposed to have committed to affordable housing, but they haven't delivered on their promise.

"Ideally, although I don't see it happening, I'd like a ceiling to be introduced on house and rental prices.

"At the very least, introduce some measures to help young people get on the ladder."

Sinéad and her fiancé want to get a home sorted before they make any plans for a wedding. "We'd like to extend our family and we'd like to get married within the next two years, but the costs are so high in Dublin and around the country.

"It's the same for all our friends and colleagues, for anyone in the 20-35 age group."