O'Keeffe and Smith to meet Quinn workers

MINISTER FOR Enterprise Batt O’Keeffe will meet representatives of Quinn Insurance workers in Cavan this morning, it was decided at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny travelled to Cavan yesterday to “show solidarity” with Quinn workers and meet a delegation of employees, businessmen and women and representatives of the local Chamber of Commerce.

Mr O’Keeffe, who will be accompanied by Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith, a TD for Cavan-Monaghan, said he intended to tell workers’ representatives the Government would do everything it could to help those who lost their jobs find new employment.

About 900 in the Quinn Group’s insurance division are to be made redundant over the next 15 months under a plan drawn up by the joint administrators.

“I will shortly announce the appointment of a chairperson of an interagency team who will co-ordinate the activities of the relevant State job creation and training agencies and put every support in place quickly in responding to the needs of those workers affected by Friday’s announcement,” Mr O’Keeffe said.

Separately, Fine Gael’s Border forum was convened in Cavan yesterday to “reflect on the consequences of the catastrophe for the Border region”, Mr Kenny said.

“Fine Gael in opposition do not have executive authority to make decisions about the Quinn Group but we are here . . . to show solidarity with the distress caused to Quinn workers, to hear their views and to reflect on what it is that we can do,” he said.

Mr Kenny confirmed he discussed the situation with head of the Quinn Group Seán Quinn in recent weeks. “I respect the fact that any entrepreneur or any businessperson actually creates jobs. I met with Seán Quinn and his management team in Sligo a number of weeks ago and I know the distress that he’s going through.”

He added: “This was a massive gamble. We are now in a situation here where serious numbers are facing voluntary redundancy.”

Mr Kenny said Government had an opportunity to “lead and respond”. He said he respected the Financial Regulator Matthew Elderfield’s independence and was not going to interfere.

He has asked Fine Gael MEP Jim Higgins to investigate how Europe might assist Quinn workers, and instructed Mr Higgins and other Fine Gael representatives to report back to him in a month’s time with proposals for employment initiatives.

Also in attendance were Fine Gael TDs Joe McHugh, Seymour Crawford and Damien English, as well as Senators Frank Feighan and Joe O’Reilly. SDLP representatives MLA Tommy Gallagher and Fearghal McKinney, the Westminster candidate for Fermanagh-South Tyrone, were also present.

Speaking after the meeting with Fine Gael, Quinn workers’ representative Mona Bermingham said it was productive but added: “It’s frustrating because they’re not in power and as much as they’d like to do A, B and C, they’re limited as to what they can do”.

Ms Bermingham said there was concern among employees that jobs would go elsewhere. “Only Quinn Group have the interest in Fermanagh and Cavan. Any other big European company that would come in . . . is only interested in buying the book and buying the policyholders to keep for themselves.” Ms Bermingham said workers already knew Fine Gael, the SDLP and other parties north and south of the Border were “on their side”. The response to the crisis from the Government was “very reactive”, she added.