Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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255. To ask the Minister for Finance if provisions will be provided to community groups that are not VAT registered to reclaim the VAT payable on defibrillators and defibrillator equipment given that many of these community groups have to undertake significant fundraising to purchase and maintain community defibrillators and under current guidelines it is not possible for them to reclaim the VAT payments on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53924/21]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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Defibrillators, other than implantable defibrillators, are liable to VAT at the standard rate, which in Ireland is 23%. Parts or accessories are also liable to VAT at the standard rate. There is no provision under existing VAT law that would make it possible to apply a reduced rate or zero rate to the supply of such products. Under the EU VAT Directive, Member States may retain the zero rate on goods and services which were in place on 1 January 1991, but cannot extend the zero rate to new goods and services. As such a zero rate cannot be applied to defibrillators.

The EU Commission published a proposal on the reform of VAT rates in January 2018 which would allow Member States more flexibility in how they apply VAT rates. In negotiations leading up to this proposal Ireland specifically recommended to the Commission to include defibrillators and other emergency-medical and rescue equipment. Discussions on the proposal are ongoing.

In advance of any change that might be made at EU level to the VAT rating of defibrillators and other products that pose difficulty for community groups, I am happy to draw your attention to the VAT compensation refund scheme, which compensates charities for the VAT they incur on their inputs, in recognition of the work undertaken by the charities sector. It will be open for six months from January 2022 for charities to make a claim for VAT costs arising in 2021. Charities will be entitled to a proportion of VAT based on the level of non-public funding they receive. A capped fund of €5 million will be available to the scheme.

Detailed information regarding the VAT Compensation Scheme for Charities is available on the Revenue Commissioners website at the following link:

www.revenue.ie/en/tax-professionals/tdm/value-added-tax/part12-refunds-and-repayments-of-tax/vat-compensation-scheme/vat-compensation-scheme-guidelines.pdf.

The Government is very committed to supporting community groups and we will continue to press for a reduction in the VAT rate on defibrillators at EU level. In the meantime, Irish VAT law must comply with the current VAT Directive and therefore defibrillators remain liable to VAT at the standard rate, currently 23%.