Families now spending an average of €415 per child each year on sports memberships
Fianna Fáil TD for Carlow Kilkenny and former Kilkenny hurler Peter ‘Chap’ Cleere has called for the introduction of a 20% tax relief on children’s sports memberships, aimed at supporting the ‘squeezed middle’.
Under the proposal, families would receive a tax credit on membership fees for sporting organisations, capped at €500. Deputy Cleere said the measure would directly support the “squeezed middle” while reinforcing the Programme for Government commitment to increase grassroots participation in sport.
A report commissioned from the Parliamentary Budget Office by Deputy Cleere found that the average annual spend on sports membership is €415 per person across all sporting organisations.
Speaking about the proposal, Deputy Cleere said:
“Costs associated with grassroots sports are becoming a barrier for many families across the country.
“Across sports pitches in Carlow and Kilkenny, families are telling me they can be spending up to €1,500 a year when they have several children involved in sport. While the membership cost of playing for a local GAA club may be around €150 per child annually, those expenses quickly mount when multiple children are participating in different sports.
“I firmly believe money should not be a barrier to children playing sport. A tax rebate on a portion of these costs would ease the burden on families and help more children get involved from a young age.
“As someone who played inter-county hurling, my own journey began at grassroots level. I am concerned that current costs could prevent the next generation from starting or pursuing their ambitions. Sport is vital for children’s development and social interaction.
“The Government should be enabling children to play as many sports as possible, and targeted tax relief would help achieve that.”
The Parliamentary Budget Office estimated that a full 20% tax relief on all sports memberships, capped at €500, would cost the Exchequer approximately €97 million in 2026.
Deputy Cleere said this figure reflects a broad application of the measure across both adults and children and s all ports. He clarified that the report was designed to set out the maximum cost ceiling of the measure, but he would be advocating for a more targeted approach that focuses on children aged 18 and under.
“We have an opportunity to put money back into the pockets of hard-working families while encouraging greater participation in sport,” he said.
“This is a proposal I will be pushing ahead of the October Budget. Children playing sport should never be a burden on families.”
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