Fine Gael finance spokesman Richard Bruton said there was some realisation on Government benches that the Budget did not deserve a standing ovation. Labour's Joan Burton described it as the 'Budget from hell'.
Mr Bruton said there was not an ounce of recognition of the 'huge and calamitous mistakes' made by Government.
On the bad banks agency, Mr Bruton said it was a 'massive gamble' and taxpayers were being asked to shoulder another €90 billion onto the public debt. He said we were heading to the 'bad old days' of a public debt of 120% of GDP.
Mr Bruton said the adjustment was 68% down to higher tax, and asked where was the commitment to bringing down the cost of Government. He said that level of higher tax was not the remedy and would not protect the jobs base.
Meanwhile, Deputy Burton said a couple with two children, with one person earning €60,000 a year, would pay €1,800 extra per year in health and income levies and lose €1,000 per year on the early childcare supplement.
She said the Government did not have the vital political capital to call the country to unity. The Labour finance spokesperson added that today's Budget could drive the economy into deeper recession and further erode confidence.
She also said the Budget did precious little to end the outrage of tax shelters.
Green Party's finance spokesperson Senator Dan Boyle said it had been a difficult Budget. 'The Government has had to choose the least unpalatable of the options available. It is disingenuous of the opposition to say that this could have been done differently,' he said.
Sinn Féin's Arthur Morgan branded the Budget as an exercise in short-sighted accountancy.
He said it was shameful that the Government would spend billions of euro on saving the country's banks, but would not do the same to save people's jobs.
