Published: Wednesday, 14th April, 2010 5:00pm

Government must secure Quinn in Cavan

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The ongoing high drama surrounding Quinn Insurance has a perplexing affect on the nation as a whole and most particularly on the Quinn employees and the people of this area who have so much to lose if the wrong decisions are taken in terms of the future of the company.

Employees are rightly fearful for their jobs - they are hard workers, dedicated to what they do best as insurance underwriters and it seems as if their world has been turned upside in the last couple of weeks when the Financial Regulator secured the appointment of provisional administrators in a surprise High Court move.

There is intensive action at political and other levels to try and find a resolution but the decision of the High Court on Monday to adjourn the Financial Regulator's application seeking to confirm the appointment of the administrators means that the uncertainty continues.

It is difficult to comprehend that in a small State such as ours that there is such a divergence of thought between opinion makers in the capital and the plain people of Ireland. In the comments and analysis of the media intelligentsia the debate surrounding Quinn Insurance tends to be carried on in a financial abstract - that the socio-economic dynamic of the situation is brushed aside as if the difficulties of Quinn Insurance in terms of what it means to this area and to the employees is of secondary importance.

It is accepted that the rights of the policy holders are of particular regard but surely the future of over 3,000 jobs in this region and countless other downstream jobs carries its own weighty statement. The State is there to serve society and not the other way around. Perhaps in the euphoric land of the Celtic Tiger we accepted our view of the State as if it were a corporate entity - driven by the needs of the market. The collapse of that model should make us reflect on what is important. It is about families being able to have enough food on the table and being able to pay their way. The Quinn Group and Quinn Insurance have been providing that living for many, many people in Cavan and surrounding counties for decades now - surely this fact has societal implications that must be recognised by Government.

On Sunday the Minister for Agriculture and local TD, Brendan Smith, did forcefully emphasise the importance of Quinn Insurance and the Quinn Group to this region. However, there must be no equivocation about the necessity of protecting those jobs for this region - the entire Government must feel the same sense of urgency and concern as Brendan Smith. If those jobs are lost the pain and anguish caused will not be easily assuaged and its impact would most likely last for generations.

The people of this region, including our children and grandchildren would not thank those who let this happen. It is for that reason that a situation must be found that enables Quinn Insurance under the ownership of Sean Quinn to continue its insurance writing operation. Only under the Quinn management can the people of this area and the employees of the company rest easy that their future is secure.

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