Request made for Bike to Work discount by Laois County Councillor

A Laois county councillor has requested that elected councillors be allowed to take part in the Bike to Work discount scheme.

Fine Gael Cllr Aisling Moran from the Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District, made her request at the May meeting of Laois County Council.

She was agreeing with a motion tabled by Cllr Barry Walsh.

He wants Laois County Council to ask Minister for Finance Paschal Donohue to consider including the self employed, especially sole traders, in the national cycle to work scheme which gives people more than 50% off the cost of a new bike.

Cllr Walsh made his case for the self employed.

"Yet again the self employed are excluded from a welfare scheme There are over 300,000 self employed in this country. It seems to me they are being discriminated against.

"If we are trying to encourage cycling why are we alienating 15% of the workforce? It wouldn't take much to replice this in the form of a tax credit to the self-employed. On one hand we are investing millions in cycling infrastructure, and on the othe rwe are disenfranchising the self-employed from taking part ihn this scheme. We provide grants for EVs but no tax incentives for bicycles. There needs to be consistency," Cllr Walsh said.

He was seconded by Cllr James Kelly, and supported by the Cathaoirleach Cllr Conor Bergin who also wants the scheme extended to the self employed sector.

"This should have been done a long time ago, it would be very important to see it extended," the Cathaoirleach said.

Cllr Aisling Moran then made her suggestion.

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"Councillors aren't entitled to the scheme either. I went looking myself during Covid and I was told we're not employees. I ask that councillors be included in the motion," she said.

The Bike to Work scheme in Ireland offers employees up to 52% off the cost of a new bike and safety equipment, worth up to €1,250 for a regular bike, and up to €1,500 for an electric bike through salary sacrifice. It costs employers nothing and the paperwork is also done for them by Bike to Work.