Margaret Conlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity to make a brief contribution to this Adjournment debate. Everybody knows that since April 2010 Quinn Insurance has been placed in administration. That decision changed the lives of many people who became worried and fearful about their employment prospects, and with good reason. Following that decision, 1,000 redundancies were announced of which 700 have taken effect. A process was put in place to elicit expressions of interest in Quinn Insurance as a going concern. The closing date for that process was 8 December 2010.

What irritates me most is that for eight or nine months the management of Quinn Insurance worked tirelessly with Anglo Irish Bank in preparing a proposal to be submitted for consideration. It was the considered view of the management that there was positivity towards this proposal. Why then was it not submitted for consideration? Did Anglo Irish Bank lead the management on a merry dance and, if so, why? By all accounts, this proposal was comprehensive and well thought out. It would protect the policy holders - of whom I am one - and it would maintain jobs in Ireland, while offering an opportunity for the business to grow in future. It would also facilitate a very important point - the repayment of the €2.8 billion owed by the Quinn family. That surely has to be a big consideration because it is taxpayers' money.

I want to know plainly and simply who made the decision that this proposal could not be considered and why was that decision made? If there were deficiencies with it, why could they not be highlighted in an open and transparent manner, teased out and worked on? My colleagues on all sides of the House and I agree that this proposal is worthy of consideration in its own right and should be judged on its own merits.

At this late stage, before the decision is made, I appeal to the Minister to assist us in getting answers for the workers and management of the Quinn group who deserve no less. They have not been treated fairly and Anglo Irish Bank has not been honest with them. Different messages were given to various people. We are all of the view that the jobs are of paramount importance. There is no queue of foreign direct investors coming our way. West Cavan and Derrylin were barren, desolate places before Seán Quinn took a risk and invested in the community and its people. I do not want to see a situation whereby we would return to the previous scenario. The workers and management of Quinn Insurance deserve to know the truth.

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