“It is clear to us the economic recovery isn’t being felt by all as we are supporting parents who are under huge strain to meet the needs of their children because of the absence of appropriate quality public services” – Fergus Finlay, Barnardos.

While the transformative policies of Early Childhood Care and Education, social housing provision and energy retrofitting of homes were welcome, according to the society, significantly greater public investment is required over the longer term.

“Ireland has an international commitment to spend 0.7 percent of national income on helping the world’s poorest people, yet this budget will bring us further from this commitment” – Trócaire.

Irish bishops appeal to Catholics to pray for protection of human life from conception till death and call on government to “prioritise the needs of low income families, and target resources towards social housing and the homeless” in budget 2017.

Investing €400m on rural broadband would have better impact on productivity than tax cuts.

Social Justice Ireland argue investment will yield significant returns in terms of both employment and productivity, and will also address two of the largest infrastructural deficits in Ireland today.