Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)

I reassure the Senator that the number one priority for the Government in this entire matter, from the first day in the job, was to secure employment for those people working within the group. This is an issue in the Senator's area of the country and also in my area. A large number of my constituents work in the Blanchardstown area and it is crucial that we have now received assurances in connection with the total number of people currently employed within the group. It has been the number one priority of the Government from day one and I believe the position arrived at now, although it was a commercial arrangement and obviously something the State was keen to progress, gives some measure of comfort to people in the current environment because at least they know where they stand currently. The position before the announcement was made was that they had no intention as to what would happen. The number one priority for the Government is the jobs issue and there is some assurance now that the company can be put on a progressive footing which is based on growing the business which is, as the Senator well knows, a profitable, successful business that has unfortunately been besmirched by the wider issues that have affected the Quinn Group of late. The priority he has articulated is the same as the Government's.