The Labour Party in Mayo are celebrating the passing of an amendment in Seanad Éireann which ensures that sports clubs are listed as charities in the Charities Bill.
That’s according to Labour PRO Harry Barrett, who outlined that despite the fact that the Government were opposed to the amendment, they had 12 members missing in the Seanad for the vote, and so Labour was able to ensure that this “very important” measure will be included in the Bill.
“We were fearful that sports clubs would be excluded from the provisions of this Bill, and this was something that we found unacceptable. GAA clubs, soccer clubs, rugby clubs, athletics clubs and clubs in all the other sporting activities are of immense value to communities all across the country. We should be doing everything we can to encourage sports clubs and the provisions of this Bill would go some way to that end.
“Today’s vote was a victory for common sense, and while the Government may well remove the provision from the Bill when it goes back to the Dáil, Labour will be fighting tooth and nail on behalf of sports clubs, to make sure that they enjoy the same benefits as other organisations.”
