Budget cuts surrounding the withdrawal of medical cards, removing the telephone allowance and death grants and slashing maternity benefit will dominate Dáil business today.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny will face questions from the opposition for the first time since the measures were announced yesterday.
The first of those, such as the rise in the cost of a pint and a bottle of wine as well the price of tobacco came into effect at midnight last night.
A protest against the cut to social welfare payments for Under-26s is taking place outside the Dail later. A coalition of youth groups claim the cuts are designed to make young workers leave the country, or take jobs which are low paid or unpaid.
The decision to cut maternity benefit in yesterday’s budget is being described as "anti-women and anti-families"
Maternity benefit is been standardised at 230 Euros per week – which means most women will see their benefit cut by 32 Euros per week.
It’s the second year in a row that maternity benefit has been targeted, and the National Women’s council says the move will force women to go back to work early and is not in the interest of mothers or their babies.
