Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)

I join Senator MacSharry in his call to people to support Quinn Insurance as an indigenous company giving employment in an area of the country that has been devastated by emigration and the Northern Ireland conflict. It is important that people support Quinn Insurance by renewing their policies with it and that it is seen as an act of patriotism. As Seán and Patricia Quinn leave the board of Quinn Direct, one must acknowledge the trauma the family has been through in recent weeks and how difficult it must be for them.

A few matters need to be put on the record of the House in respect of this company. I call on the Leader to convey at the highest level of Government that it is critical we get an arrangement in place that would preserve the jobs locally. It is also critical we get the UK market fully opened and we get the commercial business up and running there immediately.

We should look at job subsidisation given that for every job lost, three related jobs will go and given the cost of that in terms of welfare, etc. The globalisation fund, which was invoked in the case of Dell and brought €22 million to the south west, should be activated by the Government. It involves a domestic contribution but a considerable sum of money is available from the EU under the fund and that should be put in place. The colleges of further studies, notably the one in Cavan, should get extra enrolment places.

I ask the Leader to have the Minister come to the House at the earliest convenience so that Members can get an update. If this was in another location, one wonders whether more attention would be paid to it. This matter is of such gravity that there should be a discussion on it in this House every day for a significant period of time.