Education Minister Ruiari Quinn (pictured) has sparked fears of a further cut to Child Benefit after he indicated he would spend the money saved on free pre-school places.   

According to The Irish Independent, Mr Quinn’s comments raising the prospect of further cuts have caused anger within the Coalition.

Mr Quinn said he wanted to start a debate about providing a second year of free pre-school care by using some of the €2bn spent on Child Benefit every year.

His comments came after previous suggestions made by Social Protection Minister Joan Burton and Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald about reforming Child Benefit to directly fund childcare.

Government figures were taken aback by Mr Quinn’s behaviour, according to The Irish Independent, with some saying they had “no idea” why he decided to raise the issue.

Meanwhile parents’ groups came out strongly against the proposal. Parents Against Cuts to Child Benefit spokeswoman Niamh Ui Cheallaigh said: “He’s robbing Peter to pay Paul. It won’t be very welcome to hear this for a lot of families, they will be horrified, to say the least.”

And the National Women’s Council of Ireland director Orla O’Connor said Child Benefit had already been cut enough.

It is understood that the Government has no appetite for a further Child Benefit cut in the forthcoming Budget in October.

However it is thought that Labour TDs do favour providing the extra pre-school year, although they do not want to fund it with a further cut to Child Benefit.

Labour Louth TD Ged Nash said the issue of providing a second pre-school year by cutting Child Benefit would be a “medium to long-term decision”.

Another senior Labour TD said he did not think that going after Child Benefit again would be a “runner”.

“It would be very hard to tell a mother to take a cut in Child Benefit if she wasn’t going to get the second pre-school year for her child,” he said.

And a government source said: “There is no problem having a philosophical conversation (but) there is no cost structure. How do you pay for it?

“Cost the debate, and start from there. The notion is fine, but quite premature. He’s about 10 steps ahead.”

Minister Quinn was speaking at a children’s education conference in Dublin, where Oxford University educational researcher, Professor Pamela Sammons, told delegates that research had shown that a “quality” pre-school education is worth more to a child than a family income boost of €12,000.