Tax perks for Irish speakers

Date Published: 01-May-2008

A PROPOSAL to offer tax incentives to Irish speakers in a bid to entice them to live on the islands or in the Gaeltacht regions of County Galway was unanimously passed at this week’s meeting of Galway County Council.

The motion, which was proposed by Fianna Fáil Councillor Seán Ó Tuairisg would also see the introduction of major tax incentives for any businesses which might set up in those regions.

Making his case for the scheme, Cllr Ó Tuairisg said the Gaeltacht regions were “now under severe threat on many fronts” and tax incentives would help to “revitalise these areas economically and socially.”

Galway County Council will now make a submission to the Revenue Commissioners and the Minister for Finance. The submission will argue that a special Business and Tax Incentive Scheme be introduced for the Aran Islands, Inisboffin and the Clár areas of County Galway.

“The reason I am proposing these areas is because I think they are the areas that have experienced huge population decline and it would be a huge boost for the preservation of ……………………..