Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy was brief, I will also be brief. Given that I am sure he supports workers owning the practice and means of production, I would have thought it might be possible for him to see the attraction of ensuring workers are able to benefit from the value of the company they are in. I take his point, if I understand him correctly, on whether we need taxation to incentivise the issue of share option, I do not believe we do. I know from talking to many SMEs in the technology sector that a way in which they can ensure what they are offering their workers is competitive with what the very large companies are offering is through the development of share and share options schemes. The KEEP scheme is a support to them in doing that. However, I accept that it might be difficult to invoke Karl Marx in making an argument for share option schemes but, nonetheless, I thought I would give it a try.

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