Youth is a period consisting of various transitions: starting with adolescence and the formative years at school, to the transition from the classroom to the work place and from one’s original family to the formation of a new one. As such, it is a period that offers both challenges and opportunities and government seeks to support young people through all these transitions, not least during the years of building a new family.

The last budget – and, indeed, the numerous initiatives taken during the last four years – are clear evidence of this support. As announced during the budget speech, maternity leave will be increased by a further four weeks to 18 weeks. Eighteen thousand families will benefit from an increase in the minimum rate of children’s allowance from a minimum of €250 pa to €350 for each child.

Eight new childcare centres have been opened to provide quality early childhood education while reassuring parents that their children are being well cared for while they are at work. These centres are complemented with six Klabb 3-16 centres which open from 2.15pm to 6pm. The more time that passes, the less young parents can rely on grandmothers looking after their young children while the parents are at work, as more of the grandmothers will be working too and nothing less than an excellent environment that helps their offspring to interact and play with others under trained personnel is acceptable.

In addition, parents who send their children to a child care centre are entitled to a tax exemption increase to €1300. This measure, together with the increased children’s allowance, already leaves more disposable income in families’ pockets but this year’s budget has seen the launching of another incentive aimed at the same goal.

A total of 55,000 parents who are still raising a family will be saving up to a further €840 a year through their taxes, whereas parents whose children attend sports nurseries or art lessons will have €100 deducted from their income tax. Tax credit ranging from €100 to €700 is also given to parents who send their children to independent schools.

In recent years, the introduction of a number of family-friendly measures such as teleworking, flexicurity and reduced hours have helped many women stay in the labour market while some 8,600 others have been encouraged to return to work with a one-year tax holiday.

Considering this is happening in the context of an international economic crisis, this is not a bad record at all. At the moment, parliament is discussing legislation to enact some of these measures and many others vital to social and economic development. One wonders why the members of the Opposition and their leader remain more interested in playing games rather than addressing things that matter to both the young and the elderly such as education, health, pensions and jobs. It seems that they are more interested in gaining power rather than in finding ways to be a better government, should they eventually win their game.