Ms Pamela O'Rourke (24) estimates her weekly take-home pay will increase by about €5 arising from yesterday's Budget.

The teacher at St Colmcille primary school in Knocklyon, Dublin, is hoping to buy a house and was disappointed that "there was no incentives at all for first-time buyers".

Her only comfort was that the decentralisation of Government Departments might reduce demand in the Dublin housing market and help ease the growth in property values. "On education I was happy that the buildings fund for schools will be €200 million a year over the next five years.

"There are 16 teachers in our school who are working in prefabs away from the main school building."

She said they had been hoping for €300 million a year but, with the reduced money, "the improvement of sub-standard schools will take around eight years rather than five".

She was satisfied that no changes were made to the schedule of pay increases to teachers under benchmarking. She was disappointed, however, that tax on credit cards and ATM cards was not reduced.

The overall verdict? "More of the same."