Reaction: Groups representing parents and children gave a guarded welcome to yesterday's childcare package, but pointed out that planned measures would do little to make creches and pre-school places more affordable.
Barnardos, the children's charity, described it as a "hit-and-miss" budget which did not reflect the reality of bringing up children in Ireland.
The charity's chief executive Fergus Finlay said: "It is clear that €19 a week does not make childcare more affordable when costs are running at between €700 and €1,000 a month."
He said there was a danger that childcare costs would increase in response to the new childcare supplement and also pointed out that the Budget did not address the need for a free one-year pre-school place for all children.
The National Women's Council also welcomed the focus on addressing the cost and availability of childcare, but expressed disappointment that the new childcare supplement was not index-linked.
The group had lobbied for subsidised childcare and free pre-school places in advance of the Budget.
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions, which had lobbied for a voucher system worth €70 a week, said the measures were "distinctly underwhelming".
Congress general secretary David Begg said: "In effect, the Minister appears to have taken a political decision to alienate as few people as possible on the issue of childcare. This has resulted in the allocated resources being spread too thin. Childcare requires strategically targeted measures."
Employers' group Ibec said that while plans for more childcare places were welcome, the measures did not focus enough on making childcare affordable for parents working outside the home.
The Children's Rights Alliance said it welcomed with "some reservations" the range of initiatives, but expressed concern at the lack of focus on quality childcare.
The alliance's chief executive Jillian van Turnhout said: "We now need to look closely as to how the relevant Ministers will address the important issues of quality of service, affordability and, more importantly, how each of these measures will make a real difference to children's lives."
She added: "Over the next few months we will be watching the Government closely to ensure that children's rights are central to the roll-out of the Childcare Programme."
Siptu's national women's committee gave the Budget a mixed reaction, but welcomed long-awaited changes to extend maternity leave to 26 weeks over the next two weeks.
"This is something trade unions have been seeking for over 30 years, but better late than never," said Rosheen Callender, the union's national equality secretary.
"However, while the amount of maternity benefit is to be increased to 80 per cent on reckonable earnings, the ceiling of such earnings has been left at €382, which is only about 60 per cent of average industrial earnings," she added.
