Quinn Industrial Holdings donates PPE stock to health worker after laying off 600 staff

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Quinn Industrial Holdings. Photo - Liam McBurney, PA

By Aine McMahon PA

Building products manufacturer Quinn Industrial Holdings (QIH) has donated stocks of personal protective equipment (PPE) for use by frontline health workers in the fight against Covid-19.

It comes as the company announced 600 QIH staff have been furloughed or laid off temporarily as a result of the outbreak.

The company directors are to take a 50% pay cut.

A QIH spokesman said to date, more than 1,000 units of PPE equipment, including masks, Tyvek suits, nitrile gloves and safety glasses have been provided to Cavan General Hospital, South West Acute Hospital in Co Fermanagh and to a number of local community care providers.

QIH has also been able to source a consignment of surgical masks from its suppliers which it will donate to the front line when they arrive next week.

Separately, Quinn Packaging has manufactured and donated more than 1.6 tonnes of plastic PET sheet to Magherafelt-based Bloc Blinds for use in the manufacture of disposable face shields.

The company hopes to be able to produce 22,000 face shields per day which will provide vital direct-splash face protection to those bravely working on the front line against Covid-19.

QIH chief executive Liam McCaffrey said: "Our staff and all our businesses were keen to see how we could support our frontline healthcare workers in their tireless efforts to protect our community and our loved ones.

"We hope that in some small way this gesture will both show our appreciation and help save lives. It's the least they deserve."

Meanwhile, on the jobs front, the County Fermanagh based company has closed or substantially scaled back all operations that require physical attendance and were not included in the published list of essential businesses. 

It comes after the Irish and UK governments last week announced new restrictions to slow the spread of Covid-19.

A spokesman said: "Staff of impacted facilities, approximately 600 staff, will be furloughed or placed on temporary lay-off and paid in accordance with the relevant Government support scheme applicable to their roles.

"QIH recognises this is a very challenging disruption for staff and their families but it is necessary and unavoidable if we are to protect one another from this global pandemic and safeguard the lives of the most vulnerable in our community.

"All QIH directors are also taking take a 50% reduction in salary at this time."

He added that because packaging is a key product for the food sector, Quinn Packaging has not been impacted and will continue to operate while "adhering to all best practice hygiene and physical distancing guidelines designed to safeguard our staff, customers and the broader community".

The companies that make up QIH were formerly owned by Sean Quinn, who was once Ireland's richest man.

His empire collapsed in 2012 and he lost control of his portfolio of businesses. He was later employed as a consultant at his former companies, but left that role in 2016.

Following the collapse of his empire, businessmen backed by three investment funds bought its manufacturing companies in December 2014 - the firms are run by former associates of Mr Quinn.

He returned as a consultant, but left QIH in 2016 amid tension between him and the management team.

QIH director Kevin Lunney was kidnapped and badly beaten last September after being abducted from outside his home in Co Fermanagh.

He suffered knife wounds to his face and neck and had one of his legs broken in two places in a sustained attack, before being dumped at a roadside across the border in Cornafean, Co Cavan.

Mr Quinn has repeatedly condemned the attack on Mr Lunney and said the incident ended any desire he had to return to the Quinn Group.

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