The Workers' Party said last night it was disappointed the Budget had not used the available resources to tackle unemployment and social inequality.
Mr Pat Quearney, the party's general secretary, said poverty was on the increase, but the issue had been completely ignored in the Budget. Despite some adjustments to tax rates - and bands, the massive burden of personal taxation still fell on the ordinary wage earner - the PAVE worker.
"PAVE earners will continue to pay 86 per cent of all income tax after this Budget despite the concentration of high earners among self employed business people, the professions and large farmers," he said.