Paul Hosford: Does accelerating child benefit change hint at early election?

Families will be enticed by the additional payment that can be sold on the doors during canvassing, writes Paul Hosford

With Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys announcing that her department is set to begin the child benefit payments ahead of schedule, some Government TDs speculate that an election will be called before this time next year. Picture: PA

In the aftermath of last year’s budget, Government members were keen to play down the idea that it was an “election budget”.

Ministers and party leaders lined up to deny that it was a proposal for a second term, but they did stress that the “squeezed middle” — that long-suffering and ill-defined constituency — was being assisted.