Union reaction:While welcoming aspects of Mr Cowen's first Budget, union leaders have criticised many of its central changes.
Siptu's General President, Mr Jack O'Connor, said Budget 2005 was "unnecessarily cautious" and said that even workers on the minimum wage will find themselves back in the tax net when the next phase of the national wage agreement comes into play next year.
He also criticised the decision not to provide tax relief on childcare expenses.
"Although the increase of €230 in the PAYE tax credit and €60 in the personal tax credit represents a step forward, it is the absolute minimum that could have been expected - in view of the healthy state of the public finances and the projections of continuing economic growth of the order of five per cent plus.
Mr O'Connor also said that the €1,400 increase in the standard rate band was not enough to ensure those on or about the average industrial wage would not pay tax at the higher rate.
Second level teachers union Asti said parents and teachers of special needs pupils were "disappointed" with the Budget, and they would need to to hear further details on the allocation of monies for the mainstreaming of these pupils in second level schools.
The union also reiterated its disappointment that the Government did not address the issue of large class sizes at second level in Budget 2005.
Mandate, the retail and bar workers union, has welcomed Mr Cowen's move to take those on the national minimum wage out of the tax net.
The union's General Secretary Designate, Mr John Douglas, said the union was pleased that the Government has at last honoured its commitment in this regard.
"We also welcome the increases in the threshold for payment of the 2 per cent health levy, as well as the 7 per cent rise in Child Benefit," said Mr Douglas.
However, Mandate warned that any benefit from the €230 increase in tax credits would be of little long term value as it will be eroded by stealth taxes, such as the increases in service charges, charges for visits to accident and emergency wards, bus and rail fares, and gas and electricity prices.
"It also needs to be borne in mind that while Ireland is the 12th most prosperous country in the world, a growing number of the country's workforce are living below the poverty line, and this Budget has still only done a little to help," said Mr Douglas