It may prove hard to justify not cutting middle-income group

In Nov 2010 Eamon Gilmore insisted that his party in government would not cut child benefit for the wealthy, saying the way to target this group was higher taxes.

“You can devise all kinds of means testing arrangements which end up costing as much to administer as you’re actually going to save,” the Labour leader said.

“On the issue of people with additional income, you use the taxation system to make people who are very high earners pay a higher contribution.”