Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 3:

In page 8, between lines 7 and 8, to insert the following: “Amendment of section 118 of Principal Act (benefit-in-kind: relief for bicycles)

3.Section 118 of the Principal Act is amended by the insertion of the following subsection after subsection (5G):

“(5GA) Where expenses incurred in, or in connection with, the provision of a bicycle or bicycle safety equipment are exempt from a charge to tax by virtue of subsection (5G), then such expenses are exempt if incurred again within four years, where they were incurred in order to replace a bicycle or bicycle safety equipment that was stolen.”.”.

This relates to the benefit-in-kind relief for bicycles. This and the other amendment taken in this grouping are issues I raised last year. The benefit-in-kind regime that applies to bikes involves exemption for four years but it does not include the extension of that exemption to anybody who may have a bike stolen. This week, I read that the Dublin Cycling Campaign states that in Dublin alone, 20,000 bicycles are stolen every year. That is a reality. I do not think there is anybody who has a bike who has never had a bike stolen from them. That is just a reality of life. If it is the case that your bike is stolen, you cannot enjoy the benefit of the scheme again until that four-year period elapses. The Minister might have a view on that and perhaps he can give us a sense of whether he would be prepared to accept an amendment.

Amendment No. 4, which is being discussed with amendment No. 3, looks at applying the scheme to cover school and college students as well. That would be a good initiative to ensure more children and young people take the bike for all kinds of positive reasons, environmental and health, and it would help to resolve traffic congestion issues.

I am interested in hearing the Minister’s perspective on those amendments.