Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)

I ask the Leader for an update on the request I made last week and again this week, a request that was also made by my colleague, Senator O'Reilly, for the Minister for Finance to come to the House to answer questions on the Quinn Insurance group with headquarters in Cavan. The group also has employees in Navan, Blanchardstown and Enniskillen. As I outlined yesterday, I attended a meeting last Friday evening organised by Cavan Chamber of Commerce. It was a very interesting and well-attended meeting and there it became quite clear that for nine months Anglo Irish Bank and representatives of the Quinn family have been engaged in consultations.

A proposal submitted to the administrators on 10 December has not been considered. It would result in Quinn Insurance remaining in Irish ownership, its 1,200 employees remaining in employment and the wider Quinn Group remaining profitable and sustaining 5,500 jobs, many thousands of which are in County Cavan, where I live, and neighbouring counties. It would also result in the State regaining the €2.8 billion it is owed by the Quinn family. Having been worked on for nine months with representatives of the Quinn family and Anglo Irish Bank, why is this proposal not being considered? Who is preventing it from being considered? I urgently request that the Leader call the Minister for Finance to the House in order that we can obtain answers to these questions.