GREEN Party TD Mr Trevor Sargent accused the Minister for Finance, Mr Quinn, of a panic response to unemployment. His lack of ideas in the area had driven him to pay employers £80 a week to take people off the dole.
But Mr Sargent gave a guarded welcome to the Minister's proposal to extend the scheme by which unemployed people can retain benefits after taking up work, as it mirrors a scheme advocated by the Green Party.
However, he was highly critical of the benefit in kind relief for people using their cars for city purposes. The £1.7 million involved would have been better used to encourage a switch to public transport, he said.
The Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed warned that unless consistent action was taken against unemployment in the coming years, the Budget would prove ineffective.
"While the Budget did present some measures which will go towards alleviating long term unemployment, there is no emphasis on the administrative structures which will ensure that the measures actually go to the long term unemployed," said Mr Mike Allen, general secretary.
The failure to provide maintenance grants for students on past Leaving Certificate courses would cause serious student poverty, the Teachers' Union of Ireland claimed. Its president, Mr Tony Deffely, said the Government was creating a twin track for youth. "On one side are those lucky ones who find places in college and on the other side are those that don't make the Government's bench mark who are rejected and must fend for themselves".
Gingerbread Ireland, the organisation for one parent families, contrasted the £40 per week expenses increase for TDs and Senators with the £1.80 per week increase for lone parents.
Mr Terry O'Leary, group director, said "In reality where lone parents are in receipt of a rent or mortgage allowance the increase is just about £1".
The Rehab Group accused the Government of rejecting two proposals it had put to it in a pre Budget statement which would have created 335 direct and sustainable jobs and extended services to 500 people.
"It is all the more inexplicable given the widespread lip service paid by this administration to people with disabilities", said Ms Angela Kerins Rehab's director of public affairs' and care services.