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Short Term Tax Reliefs Should be Offered to Incentivise Athletes to Locate Pre-Olympic Training in Ireland-Oireachtas Committee

25 Iúil 2011, 09:24

Ireland should consider providing specific short-term tax reliefs to athletes as an incentive to locate their London 2012 training camps in Ireland, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Transport, Tourism and Sport has suggested.

24th July 2011

The Committee is currently considering a number of proposals to help attract Olympic teams and athletes to train in Ireland in the run up to the 2012 Games and has written to the Minister for Finance suggesting this initiative.

Under the proposal, a tax break which would allow athletes to recoup any tax or taxes paid while in Ireland, on, for example expenditure on accommodation, food and drink, travel, gifts and admission to cultural venues.

Committee Chairman, Ciaran Lynch TD said;
“When it was first announced that London was to host the 2012 Olympics, it was anticipated that it would be a huge benefit for Ireland’s sporting facilities given our proximity to the Games’ location.

However, to date this has not quite materialised.  So far just four teams have committed to using Ireland as a pre Games training base. In Britain, Olympic teams are being offered grants of up to £25,000 to use training facilities in the UK. While the current economic situation does not enable Ireland to offer such generous financial assistance I belief the Committee’s creative idea could help encourage Olympians to use some of our elite sports venues.

I think it would be a wonderful achievement if we could attract a number of foreign national teams through such a measure. It would allow us to showcase our elite sports bases and our country. It would also highlight Ireland as a great showcase for future international sporting events.

Ireland’s hosting of previous events such as the Special Olympics, the Ryder Cup and this year’s Europa league final show that we have something to offer in terms of sporting infrastructure and organisation. We hope that the Minister will give serious consideration to our proposal.”

To date, the Hungarian and British Water polo teams have used the Ntional Aquatic Centre in Dublin. The USA synchronised swimming team and the UK Paralympic swimming squads have also committed to using the National Aquatic Centre prior to London.

ENDS

Daniel English
Oireachtas Communications Office
01 618 4484
087 6949926

Committee Membership
Deputies:
James Bannon, Fine Gael
Paudie Coffey, Fine Gael
Terence Flanagan, Fine Gael
Noel Coonan, Fine Gael
Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, Fine Gael
Tony McLoughlin, Fine Gael
Patrick O’Donovan, Fine Gael
Brian Walsh, Fine Gael
Kevin Humphreys, Labour Party
Gerald Nash, Labour Party
Seán Kenny, Labour Party
Ciarán Lynch, Labour Party
Robert Troy, Fianna Fáil
Timmy Dooley, Fianna Fáil
Niall Collins, Fianna Fáil
Sandra McLellan, Sinn Féin
Dessie Ellis, Sinn Féin
Brian Stanley, Sinn Féin
Clare Daly, Socialist Party
Catherine Murphy, Independent
Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan, Independent
 
Senators:
Cáit Keane, Fine Gael
Catherine Noone, Fine Gael
Labhrás Ó’Murchú, Fianna Fáil
Ned O’Sullivan, Fianna Fáil
Eamon Coghlan, Independent


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