Tax Exemptions
Seanad Éireann — 2026-06-23
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Robert Troy (FF), Longford-Westmeath

I am taking this matter for the Minister for Transport, but, fortunately for the Senator, I am a Minister of State in the Department of Finance and this is a matter for that Department.
The Senator makes a very valid point about where we would be as a society if we were bereft of volunteerism right across the board, be it in sport or in healthcare provision such as this.
One of the lines of the pre-prepared script that was given was on the costs associated with implementing this measure but what I would like to look at are the cost savings to the health service of this voluntary group providing the service. If we look at that and equate it with the potential costs, I would be somewhat surprised if there is not an overall saving. On that basis, I will take back what the Senator has raised to the Department of Finance and ask the officials to see whether they can quantify the number of vehicles that are in use by that service and what the cost would be, what the cost would be to the HSE if those people were not providing that service, and whether we can expand the exemptions. Honestly, though, it is not in my gift. It is for the senior Minister, in consultation at a wider Government level. However, let us first get costings in real terms for the implementation of the change but also what this valuable organisation is saving the health service.
It would be remiss of me if I did not take the opportunity to congratulate Senator Gallagher on Monaghan's win over the weekend. Unfortunately, it was at the expense of Westmeath and put us into misery after what was a fabulous year. Even though Monaghan has done that to us, I will take on board what the Senator said here today and see can we get a solution for him.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-06-23/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:05+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-23