Make defibrillators more affordable and available in Ireland.

Beating Again is a Facebook campaign set up by Alan Coleman and Jim Hartnett with the aim of asking the Minister for Finance to take the VAT rate from Defibs so as to make them more affordable to clubs, societies, communities and individuals. By removing the VAT rate, which is currently 23%, these life saving devices are more easily accessible which will result not only in lives being saved but in more people being trained in their use. Unfortunately, due to a European Law it is not possible for the Government to simply remove the VAT element but there is nothing in law that would prevent them from putting other measures in place to reduce the price of the machines by the sum of VAT that is added on to the machine. Therefore, we are asking both the Ministers for Health and Finance to grant aid anyone who buys a defibrillator to an amount equal to tha value of the VAT. With the expertise of Revenue it would be possible to form a way of doing this so that it will result in no loss of revenue to the state, other that the 23% value. Even though this would be a loss of revenue, the fact that more of these machines are available would result in lives preserved and ultimately would save the state money because and individual taken care of would be in a position to continue to contribute to the lives of their families and work into the future which would generate income for the state.