There is relief available to employees / directors that purchase shares in their own company.
The relief is limited to about €6,000 over 5 years and is confined to non-quoted / listed shares only
The relevant original statue is here [broken link removed]
Further info here ([broken link removed]) with ammendments to Section 479 throughout the years
From my experience, and from others I know, a number of Revenue staff are not au fait with this relief; confirmation of the relief and subsequent refunds may take longer than normal
Whether any relief of interest on borrowings for a share purchase is allowable ? I don't know - you should consult either your or the company's accountant for a definitive view