I'm a clerical assistant in the civil service - so what I'm saying is in a private capacity. I've been here for six years. The maximum rate of pay for a clerical assistant, and this is after 12 years service, is £12,500 a year. The minimum is £9,000. A Clerical Officer gets around £14,000 a year.

Working in the Tax Office, we're the ones in the front line, taking the phone calls. Some people are definitely doing quite well, and there are more people in work - there's been an increase in calls.

But we're not. There are people signing on who are getting more in benefits than some of my married colleagues are. Some clerical assistants qualify for Family Income Supplement - these are the Government's own employees!

The Government should change the Family Income Supplement so that it is assessed on net rather than gross earnings, that would be fairer.

There's definitely a sense that boom is there, but it's not reaching down the line. The low paid seem to have been left behind.

The new pay agreement, for example, gives us 2.5 per cent. That's not going to make a lot of difference to us, whether single or married.

What I'd like to see in the budget is an increase in tax free allowances. I've been reading about the giveaway budget, and what I'd expect on that basis would be at least five or six pounds extra a week. Realistically though, I suppose we'll wind up getting an three or four pounds more.

They should increase the personal allowances, so that everybody benefits, and widen the tax bands. Single people hit the higher rate of tax at around £13 000 which is ridiculous.

Reducing PRSI wouldn't really effect civil servants, because we pay a lower rate. We don't get the benefits either.