Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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184. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will consider a similar scheme to the cycle to work scheme to include pensioners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46386/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Cycle to Work Scheme, which I am very supportive of, is a tax incentive scheme administered by the Revenue Commissioners and governed by tax legislation and tax policy which are matters for my colleague, the Minister for Finance. In that regard, I very much welcomed his announcement of increased thresholds under the existing scheme as part of the July Stimulus 2020. The increases are in line with the commitment made in the Programme for Government in relation to the scheme.

The Programme for Government commits to "widening the eligibility of the Bike to Work scheme". As mentioned above, this would be a matter for the Department of Finance. To help advance this commitment, however, my Department in conjunction with the Department of Rural and Community Development, introduced a pilot initiative last year for the provision of high quality up-cycled bicycles and e-bikes for those on low incomes and the most marginalised and disadvantaged, via the Community Services Programme.

There are currently no plans to extend eligibility for this particular scheme further. We are, however, examining a number of active travel initiatives as part of the budgetary discussions which will be finalised this week, which, if implemented, could result in the removal of some barriers to cycling and could see increased numbers of people of all ages engaging in active travel going forward.