We in the Labour Party welcome any measures that will alleviate hardship for families and households over this winter. We agree that a combination of measures is necessary, but we have proposed three immediate actions the Government could have taken in this budget to alleviate hardship. I refer to a €9 per month public transport ticket to heavily subsidise public transport for all, a €200 per month cap on childcare fees and access to free GP care for all children under 18. Those are the sorts of measure that could have been adopted by the Government in the budget, but that were not. We believe they are the kinds of measure that are necessary. In a rich country, no one should be left hungry, cold or homeless facing into winter. This Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael budget has failed that test. We need an Ireland that works for all. We in the Labour Party have put forward serious, substantial and radical proposals that would have achieved that. It is an unfortunate missed opportunity that the Government did not take up that challenge and introduce a combination of measures needed to address the hardships and fear so many people are facing this winter.

To be fair, one would have to acknowledge the very significant moves in childcare, with a reduction of 25% in costs, on top of significant measures last year that culminated in the employment regulation order agreed between the unions and employers in the childcare sector. That was a substantial breakthrough that has been acknowledged by the social partners in respect of improving working conditions within the childcare sector. In addition, in this budget, we are taking meaningful steps to improve affordability for childcare in the context of a reduction in costs of the order of 25%.

In health, all inpatient hospital charges will be abolished and free GP care will be considerably expanded as a result of yesterday's measures. That will include, as was agreed last year although it has taken a long time to negotiate, with the Irish Medical Organisation and others, the provision of GP visit cards to children aged six and seven. Moreover, we have extended even further, on foot of what we did last year, free contraception to women up to 30 years of age. The women's healthcare package is a significant, progressive move that started last year and that is continuing this year.