Mr. Leo Clancy:

I will start the reply and will ask my colleague to speak afterwards. I am conscious there is legislation in train in this space, which I have watched with interest.

Co-operatives are businesses. We are here to support business. Unless the legislation that emerges precludes us from doing so, I will be more than delighted for Enterprise Ireland to support workers’ co-operatives as a type of business. The more diversity we can have in the types of businesses that are developing in Ireland, the better. We are currently working with some social enterprises. I certainly want to broaden that agenda in the way we can support social enterprises. We are very well placed to support both those social enterprises and co-operatives. I would very much welcome the emergence of any legislation. Enterprise Ireland will do its part to support workers’ co-operatives in whatever form they can emerge here.