Sir, – The cycle-to-work scheme introduced some years ago, where an employee can avail of a tax incentive enabling them to reclaim up to 50 per cent off the price of a new bicycle, was well intentioned.
This initiative is designed to take people out of their cars and cycle to, or at least part of the way, to their place of employment.
Unfortunately, a lot of the people availing of this scheme never use or ever intend to use these new bicycles for work purposes.
Participants in the scheme are obliged to sign a statement with their employer, stating that the bike (electric or pedal) is for their own use and will be mainly used for qualifying journeys, ie journeys to or from work and/or between places of work.
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In the overall scheme of things and the way taxpayers’ money is wasted in other ways, this may not seem important.
Dishonesty is dishonesty and Ireland needs a cultural change away from the “everyone else is getting away with it” culture exercised at so many levels in our society. – Yours, etc,
BRIAN LUBE,
Kilcock, Co Meath.