While children escaped most of the austerity cuts announced in this week's Budget, the move to cut Maternity Benefit is anti-family, the Children's Rights Allowance has claimed.

Responding to the 2014 Budget, the alliance welcomed the fact that Child Benefit is to be maintained at its current rates and also welcomed the introduction of free GP care for children aged five and under.

However, it expressed its ‘unease and disappointment' at the 12% reduction in Maternity Benefit. As part of this, women on the higher rate of €262 per week - which accounts for most women obtaining this benefit - will now receive €230 a week, a reduction of €32 per week, or €832 over the 26 week period they receive this benefit.

In last year's Budget, taxing of the benefit was introduced for the first time.

"Ireland is currently in the middle of a baby boom and to reduce Maternity Benefit at this time is counter-productive economically, counter intuitive and will result in discouraging people from having babies. It will inevitably force mothers back to work earlier and interfere with breastfeeding arrangements," insisted the alliance's chief executive, Tanya Ward.

She added that while the Government should be recognised for maintaining Child Benefit and introducing free GP care for young children, ‘no one in the country would want free GP care for the very young at the expense of the medical card being withdrawn from children with high level health needs'.

"We would be very concerned that the Government intends to save €113 million from the medical card scheme. Who will be left out in the cold with this proposal?" she said.