A committee of Irish politicians has called for athletes to be offered short-term tax breaks if they train in Ireland ahead of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Transport, Tourism and Sport has written to finance minister Michael Noonan to call for the policy to be implemented. It is proposed that athletes based in Ireland would be able to recover tax on services such as food and drink; accommodation; travel; admission to cultural venues; or gifts.

Committee chair Ciaran Lynch said: "In Britain, Olympic teams are being offered grants of up to £25,000 to use training facilities in the UK. "While the current economic situation does not enable Ireland to offer such generous financial assistance I belief the Committee's creative idea could help encourage Olympians to use some of our elite sports venues."

Dublin's National Aquatic Centre has been used by the British and Hungarian water polo teams, while the US synchronised swimming team and British Paralympic swimming teams have also committed to using the facility.