Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 7 October 2009
295 Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his Department is taking part in the cycle-to-work scheme or plans to do so in the near future; the agencies and bodies under the aegis of his Department taking part in the cycle-to-work scheme and those which are not; and the impact the implementation of decentralisation will have on participation in the scheme. [34616/09]
View answerThe Finance (No. 2) Act 2008 provided for the introduction of an exemption from income tax in respect of a benefit-in-kind arising from a bicycle or associated safety equipment being supplied by an employer to an employee for the purposes of commuting to work.
My Department is implementing the Cycle to Work Scheme and, thus far, seventeen officers have applied to avail of this tax exemption.
The decentralisation to Limerick of the Development Cooperation Division of my Department has not had any impact on participation in the Cycle to Work Scheme; five of the applications received to date have been from officers based in Limerick.
There are no Government agencies under the remit of the Department of Foreign Affairs.
