Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am a little concerned about this measure. While we should be supportive of sport and Irish athletes, there are provisions in place to deal with income accrued from sporting activities, including fees and earnings. Provision has already been made to allow, for example, a golfer who wins the Ryder Cup to treat income from the win as non-taxable. The proposal in this section goes too far by breaking the link between pension contributions and taxable income. Sportspersons will be allowed to claim tax exemption on pension contributions made from non-taxable income derived from sporting activities. The relief available here is far in excess of the relief available to any other individual.

An argument can be made for sportspersons such as badminton players, boxers, cyclists, footballers, jockeys and others named in the Bill, for example, motor racing drivers, rugby players, squash players, swimmers and tennis players. Currently, only the percentage of their income derived from sponsorship or advertising fees on which they claim relief can be put into their pension. Under this proposal, they will be allowed to use other income, namely, fees, when calculating the percentage. That is my understanding and if it is correct, it is unfair. If I am incorrect, I ask the Minister to explain the position.