According to reports, government officials have focused much of their attention on the needs of families and children across Ireland, with special attention being given to the issue of childcare and early education.
As it stands, the Early Childhood Care and Education Scheme offers children aged between three years and two months and four years and seven months one free year of early childhood care and the announcements today propose to increase this to two free years of ECCE.
Further to this, it is understood that the Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar, will receive funding to extend the free GP care scheme to children under 12.
It has been established that child benefit will increase by €5 per month which will result in a yearly increase of €60 – a move which mimics last year's decision by the Government.
It is understood that the Budget also intends to assist lone-parent families by offering reforms to the One Parent Family Payment, while increases in the Family Income Supplement (FIS) thresholds are due to benefit up to 60,000 low-income families.
Elaborating on the the implications of the former reform, a Government source explained: "No lone parent with a youngest child aged under 14 years is required to take up employment in order to receive income support from the Department."
In addition to this, it has been established that the Tanaiste, Joan Burton, has also put plans in place which will allow fathers to secure two weeks paid paternal leave - a reform which is due to come into effect in the summer of 2016.
Assuring families the length and breadth of Ireland that their concerns have been heard, a senior Government official said: "It's all about benefits for families - that's what the theme of the Budget will be."
