Charlie McCreevy (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)

This change was made to benefit the employees represented by the ESOT, and all the changes that have been made to legislation affecting ESOTs through the years since Deputy Quinn first introduced ESOT legislation in the Finance Act 1997 have all been done at the request of the workers to preserve the tax benefits for them alone. Nobody from Valentia or the other consortium made any contact — good, bad, or indifferent — with the Department of Finance or me. This was all dealt with between the advisers to the ESOT and the Department and the Revenue Commissioners.

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