Mothers who stay at home have questioned why the Government is recognising their work by giving a tax credit to their spouses.

inance Minister Paschal Donohoe announced he was increasing the Home Carer Tax Credit by 100, to support stay-at-home parents.

The tax credit, previously worth 1,600, is available to couples who are married or in a civil partnership, where one of them is a full time carer.

The tax credit is applied to the earnings of the working partner.

So theyre going to recognise my work, by paying it to my spouse? said Ails N Chofaigh, a mother-of-one.

She said it was offensive that the Government was failing to value the work done by stay at home parents the vast majority of whom are women.

Its not income into my bank account, its not pay and its not recognition.

"Its a little bit insulting, to be honest. Is that what my work is valued at? A 100 tax credit, over the course of a year? Are you kidding me?

Ms N Chofaigh, who is based in Limerick and whose son is four-and-a-half, said it was offensive that the Government did not value the work of parents who cared for children at home.

In contrast it did appear to recognise the value of childcare outside of the home through its reduction in crche fees.

Stay-at-home parents work, we work hard. We just arent paid. We arent valued and we arent represented. And theres no way that isnt influenced by the fact that 98pcof stay-at-home parents in Ireland are women, she said.

What activist groups are there for us?

"What feminist groups?

Pauline OReilly, the Green Party senator and founder of Stay at Home Parents Ireland, said that there had been amazing supports for childcare costs announced in the Budget but she believed more needed to be done for stay-at-home parents.

The Governments plan to cut creche fees was hailed as a breakthrough for womens equality by the National Womens Council of Ireland, which said a lack of affordable childcare is the single biggest barrier to womens equality in the workplace.

Meanwhile, One Family, which represents single-parent families, saidthe increase of 12 for core social welfare paymentand a 2 additional payment for children will do nothing to mitigate against poverty in 2023.

A number of measures in Budget 2023 were aimed at easing the rising cost of living for women and families.

For the first time, IVF will be available on the public health service after funding was announced for the fertility treatmentwhich is currently only available through unregulated clinics, at significant expense.

The treatment will be available to couples who are finding it hard to conceive after a landmark assisted human reproduction bill makes its way through the Oireachtas.

The Government said that funding will be made available next year for a dedicated womens health package.

The recently launched free contraception scheme has also been extended from its original age limit of 17-25 to 16-30.

Free contraception for all women was first promised over four years ago. Hormone replacement therapy will now be subject to zero per cent Vat, as will mooncups, menstrual sponges and period pants. Products like tampons and sanitary pads were already subject to zero per cent Vat.

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Budget 2023: Stay-at-home mother blasts 'insulting' home carer credit rise - 'So they're going to recognise my work, by paying it to my spouse?' -...