Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
GARDAÍ ARE INVESTIGATING an arson attack at the home of a senior manager of Quinn Industrial Holdings (QIH).
The car of Tony Lunney’s daughter was set alight outside the family’s home in Ballyconnell, Co Cavan, at about 11.20pm yesterday.
Two fire crews and gardaí attended the scene, preventing the fire from spreading further. Gardaí said no injuries were reported and investigations are ongoing.
It’s understood the incident could be linked to two other recent arson attacks on properties linked to QIH – one on a car at the home of Chief Financial Officer Dara O’Reilly in Butlersbridge earlier this month and another on 31 August at a tyre factory in Co Cavan which is owned by a senior manager of QIH.
Commenting on the situation, QIH CEO Liam McCaffrey said: “It is grossly unacceptable that criminals who threaten the lives and wellbeing of staff on both sides of the border continue to operate with impunity.
“It is also enormously frustrating that following years of intimidation and threats and a substantial escalation of violence over recent months that not a single arrest has been made.”
‘Lives could be lost’
McCaffrey called on politicians and the authorities on both sides of the border to “properly prioritise and resource this issue, as they have with gangland and paramilitary crime in other areas”, otherwise “lives will be lost”.
McCaffrey said QIH’s 830-plus employees and their families as well as the wider community are “impacted by this violence and intimidation” and “in urgent need of reassurance that this issue is being taken seriously”.
QIH was established in 2014 and comprises elements of Seán Quinn’s former businesses.
Quinn was once the richest person in Ireland, but lost control of his business empire after making a significant investment in the now defunct Anglo Irish Bank. He was declared bankrupt in 2012.
Quinn briefly worked as a consultant for QIH before leaving the role in 2016.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
What a non (I tried another word but it was perceived as toxic) story, half the country has been locked down even more so in the industries that sustain casualties. Almost as daft as the commentary about record recessions when the government shut down the country, shock horror & then the hype about record growth year on year when the government opened the economy back up & allowed folk to go back to making a crust, someone must have a blank page that need filling.
@Joe Thorpe: I accept your point. It is worth noting though that the Trump administration suppressed the reporting of work related death statistics, which had been required under the Obama administration. We could have a government that does something similar and thankfully we don’t. So I’m fine with having the statistics reported, even if it is an artificial low.
@David A. Murray: Well done you’ve somehow managed to bash trump in this news article it’s 2022 now come on just get over trump.
@Joe Thorpe: you obviously had a blank page that needed filling. Blank head too methinks.
@Joe Thorpe: there is no 2 ways about it sites are becoming safer and people are more self aware not to take risks. Regardless of lockdowns or not there’s people going home to their families who a few years ago would possibly lost their live doing the same job. 1 less life lost Regardless how is a result
The chances taken by small building contractors is directly contributing to these deaths especially the fall from height deaths. Two houses being built near me at the moment and both by two different contractors are disgraceful. The Scaffolding in particular…no hand rails, toe boards, access ladders, most sections only have one or two planks on them. Two scary things about it, 1 how the HSA let them get away with it, 2 how the contractors seem to just not care about their employees or even themselves.
@Ronan: Most of the lads at it have worked in the industry for years and with way less safety back then when they first started than now they’re probably so used to it they don’t see the danger.
@Ronan: are the HSA aware
@Ronan: those curtains must get awful greasy with your paws constantly twitching at them. If you’re so concerned why don’t you 1. Go and lend your massive scaffolding know how and a hand fixing it. 2. Stop making comments on a news article and go do something about it. Why make an effort when you can complain and say I told you so!
It’s because there are simply not enough HSA audits being carried out. I have worked on construction sites here for 35 years and only seen the HSA on two sites and on both occasions we were tipped off that they would be arriving. They were both on big site where generally safety would be better. It’s the small builder say building a few houses or maybe a small block of apartments that are a disgrace when it comes to health and safety. They should be getting regular unannounced audits from the HSA and this would focus them to run the sites better. Obviously down to lack of recourses and the builders know this.
Mostly due to lockdown but the HSA will be convinced that it’s due to their sill y over the top rules and regulations working as intended
@Quiet Goer: construction wasn’t loved down this year. March 2020 when it locked down
@Shaun Gallagher: it was actually last Christmas was extended to February. Unless it was council or 6 weeks from completion.
Half my team could be dead and I wouldn’t even know anymore with WFH, for all I know I could be talking to their kids over the keyboard.
have your say