One in three adults would take up a new gym membership if there was a tax incentive introduced in the next budget.
That is what Ireland Active, the representative body for the Leisure, Health, and Fitness sector in Ireland, is calling for after publishing the results of a specially commissioned survey.
It would help Increase health and fitness in every community, and to this end Ireland Active is calling for a new initiative aimed at promoting adult participation in personal exercise and swimming through the introduction of Personal Tax Relief for gym and swimming pool memberships.
“We are committed to enhancing the health and fitness of communities across the country through collaborative efforts and innovative policy initiatives,” said Ireland Active CEO Karl Dunne.
“We believe that a targeted tax measures such as this would help stimulate greater health and fitness across all ages.”
“Ireland Active commissioned a nationwide REDC survey recently to gauge public opinion on the proposals. The results were promising, with nearly 3 in 10 adults (28%) indicating they would likely take up gym or swimming pool memberships if the tax relief were introduced. Nationally, this represents approximately 851,000 adults, highlighting the potential impact of this policy in increasing public engagement in health, leisure, and fitness activities.”
Ireland Active has sent proposals to all members of the Oireachtas and key Departmental officials in the context of the upcoming Budget, advocating for the introduction of this Personal Tax Relief initiative.
This targeted measure is designed to support personal exercise and swimming, which are the sports with the highest adult participation rates in Ireland, surpassing the combined participation in the three major field sports according to the Sport Ireland Sports Monitor report.
“Over a number of years as the national association that represents the health and fitness sector, we have advocated for measures such as this to promote adult participation in personal exercise and swimming, due to the undeniable health and societal benefits associated with sport and exercise for adults,” continued Dunne.
“The good news is that this proposal aligns with the Government’s Healthy Ireland Implementation Plan 2023-2027 along with National Physical Activity guidelines.”
Ireland Active is actively seeking support from government officials, stakeholders, and the general public to make this initiative a reality.
The organisation believes that implementing this tax relief will significantly enhance the health and fitness levels of communities across Ireland.
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