Madam, – I am truly shocked by the breathtaking hypocrisy of Seán Quinn, his personal rent-a-mob worker protest outside the Dáil, his backing by the Cavan Chamber of Commerce, the GAA etc. This is all so typically Irish.
When we refer to our politicians, bankers and priests we expect them to be purer than the saints in heaven, until it comes to our own interests. Then we expect them to break every rule in the book. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – I am amazed at the some of the comments on the Quinn Insurance group, especially those made in the Seanad. What seems to be coming across is that the Government should tell the regulator to back off. I would have thought that such things might have happened under a previous regime, but surely to God we have had enough of light touch regulation, and the friends of friends of politicians syndome which has landed us where we are – in a cesspool of our future being mortgaged beyond comprehension.
While the Quinn group may be, like Anglo Irish Bank of “systemic” importance to the State, (and the two are somewhat connected) can anyone seriously suggest it be outside the pale on regulation? I trust in the regulator and in the courts, before which the matter now is, where Mr Quinn, his advisers and legal team will have every opportunity to make their case and not the poor me “everybody is out to get me” special pleading we heard from Mr Quinn on RTÉ.
And finally, maybe it is a sign of our growing maturity or as a result of having fingers burnt that calls made to Government ministers on the subject have not been returned. We are finally reaching maturity, but the growing pains have been truly horrific. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – When Bupa was forced out of this country I was happy to transfer to Quinn. It was convenient to have home, car and health insurance with the one company and at a good price.
I suggest that if people like me were to protest outside Leinster House like the Quinn employees did recently the streets around the Dáil would scarcely be able to contain us. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – I wake every morning to hear stories of continuing job losses and a contracting economy making it hard to do your day’s work, but then I remember all the people who aren’t as lucky as me and have no job. I don’t believe there is a family in Ireland which has not been affected by the downturn.
The morning of last Tuesday week, my day was made a lot tougher on hearing the regulator’s decision to appoint two administrators to Quinn Insurance.
I am originally from the Cavan /Leitrim border, my partner who is pregnant with our first child, my brother my father and many of my friends and neighbours are employed by the Quinn Group. The Quinn Group employs thousands of people directly and thousands more indirectly, throughout this country.
I understand the responsibilities of the financial regulator, however, by conducting his work in such a public way he must acknowledge the damaging impact this would have on any company, especially one which he accepts is a profitable company. These irreversible, irresponsible actions may destroy one of our most successful home-grown businesses, which honourably pays its taxes in this country.
The introduction of Quinn Insurance has ensured competition in a market that our politicians had previously tried but failed to do, therefore the people of Ireland have received massive reductions in the cost of their insurance. It is widely acknowledged that not only did the introduction of Quinn Insurance shake up the market but also created thousands of jobs.
The regulator is stating that it is business as usual, but this could not be accurate as the company was unable as and from last Tuesday week to sell a policy into the UK market. This may cost hundreds of jobs as it has undone years of hard work by Mr Quinn and his workers in getting a platform in the UK.
At this time our public representatives who are elected by the people for the people are failing the people. This week they have pledged the national tax income for generations to underpin a banking system under criminal investigation. Have they not considered there may be no taxpayers left to foot the bill? It appears that the financial regulator is deliberately taking such aggressive action in order to distance himself from his predecessors whilst ignoring the impact this will have on the wider economy.
Our representatives will fund many programmes within such regions as west Cavan to introduce jobs over the coming decades. I wonder how much and how long they would have to invest to ensure the number of jobs that could be lost are returned? Perhaps the time has come for us all to take to the streets and not only support Mr Quinn, who directly employs more than 5,500 taxpayers and indirectly as many as 15,000, but to display our dismay at our politicians’ disregard for the people they are paid to represent.
I would suggest that I would have a lot more faith in the likes of Mr Quinn to get the country out of this mess than our elected politicians. – Yours, etc,