News

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Cavan/ Monaghan, T.D. Mr. Brendan Smith has had a number of meetings in Cavan today to discuss how those who will be affected by the redundancies at Quinn Insurance can be best supported and how the maximum number of jobs can be protected at the company.

The Minister, who accompanied his colleague, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Mr. Batt O’Keeffe, T.D., had separate meetings with employee representatives of Quinn Insurance as well as the local Chamber of Commerce. The meetings were also attended by the officials from the IDA, FAS and Enterprise Ireland, along with senior representatives of a number of other state and local agencies, including Cavan County Enterprise Board, Cavan VEC and Cavan County Council.

Although last Friday’s announcement by the Administrators that they are to seek over 900 redundancies at Quinn Insurance was a very big blow to the workers and their families, the company remains a very viable enterprise and a major employer and an important company in the insurance market, according to Minister Smith.

“Minister O’Keeffe and I outlined to the employee representatives and the Chamber of Commerce, that a focused and co-ordained strategy is being put in place to support the workers who will be affected by Friday’s announcement. The priority now is to minimise the job loses and ensure that those who are directly affected get worthwhile support, while at the same time ensuring that the maximum number of jobs are protected”, Minister Smith said.

Minister Smith also welcomed as “highly significant”, the announcement that former Chief Executive of Enterprise Ireland, Mr. Dan Flinter has been appointed to chair the interagency team that is being put in place by the Government, to ensure an effective and co-ordinated strategy to support the workers at Quinn Insurance, as well as Minister O’Keeffe’s announcement of specific funding measures.