Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 22 April 2021
230. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way in which his Department and agencies under his remit encourage and facilitate employees to use active travel to commute to work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21045/21]
View answerThe Cycle to Work scheme, as administered by the Revenue Commissioners, represents the clearest initiative targeted at facilitation of employees to use active travel to commute to work.
My Department has been an active participant in the Cycle to Work Scheme since its inception in 2009. This tax incentive scheme allows employers to purchase bicycles on behalf of employees and recoup the cost from the employee through salary deductions that are free of tax. In the period since the start of 2019, a total of 252 applications by staff members in the Department were made.
On 1 August 2020, as part of the Government's July Jobs Stimulus Plan 2020, the qualifying exemption limits were raised from €1,000 to €1,250 for a standard bicycle and €1,500 for an electric bicycle. This measure has resulted in increased application levels among staff in my Department, with scheme applications to date in 2021 at treble the rate for the equivalent period in both 2019 and 2020.
The matter of promotion of the use of active travel for the work commute by employees of State Bodies is an operational matter for the bodies themselves. I have referred this query to the State Bodies under the aegis of my Department and have asked that they respond directly on the matter.
