84 Mr. Hughes asked the Minister for Finance if he will seek ways to encourage business angels and other private investors to invest directly in private companies in view of the fact that BES and venture capital funds are not freely available and particularly to structure the capital gains tax regime to balance the reward for risk as against alternative low tax investments currently available to such investors in order to encourage participation in private share ownership. [3060/97]

The BES currently applies to qualifying companies operating in a range of economic sectors where the level of risk is high and the required pay-off to the State for tax assisted investment is jobs return. Given the cost of the relief, and the need to target it, I have no plans to widen the scope at present.