Valuable machinery torched at Quinn tarmac plant

There has been an appeal for calm following the latest act of vandalism on one of the Quinn plants now under receivership. The latest attack last Saturday night, which saw valuable plant machinery and other vehicles set ablaze at the tarmac plant in Ballyconnell, is estimated to have cost hundreds of thousands of euro of damage. Three electricity poles near Kinawley were also cut down. There have been more than a dozen serious incidents of vandalism connected to the businesses, formerly owned by Sean Quinn, since they were taken into receivership. The ongoing vandalism is being investigated by the Gardaí at Ballyconnell and the PSNI in Fermanagh. Vandals threatening jobs A spokesman for the Quinn Group said: "The Quinn Group abhors the activities at the weekend which amount to an attack on the commercial interest of the company and therefore the security of jobs and employment in the area. It is incredible to think at this time of economic challenge there are some people who would deliberately set out to undermine the security of jobs of the employees of Quinn Group. We call on the perpetrators to immediately stop these actions." The company is calling on anybody with knowledge of the perpetrators to report them to the authorities. This wanton vandalism also been strongly condemned by local Sinn Féin councillor Damian Brady, who is also a member of the Ballyconnell Fire Brigade. He stressed that any continuation of this activity will lead to job losses. He has called on those responsible to desist immediately. Operations were continuing at the tarmac plant this week, as normal, despite the attack. Blaze The fire brigades in Cavan and Fermanagh were alerted at 12.30am on Saturday night/Sunday morning to a raging fire at the Quinn tarmac plant. The blaze was brought under control within an hour but the brigades had to remain at the scene to dampen down the smouldering vehicles. The site location was sealed off by the Gardaí as their investigation into the incident swung into action. When the brigades arrived at the plant there were two vans, a lorry, a loading shovel, a tarmac spreader and mechanical roller ablaze. Most of the vehicles were parked adjacent to buildings and this made the fighting of the flames at the four individual vehicles even more urgent because the fire crews were concerned that the flames could at any point spread to the building. Brigades from Ballyconnell and Belturbet attended at the scene and they were also assisted by brigades from Lisnaskea and Enniskillen. "People who work in the tarmac plant turned up on the night and were very worried and concerned that if this criminality continues, they will have no jobs to go to at all," Damian Brady told The Anglo-Celt. "We are all very saddened that Sean Quinn is no longer in control of the company. But the operation has to continue with a view to holding onto all the jobs. This is the busiest time of year for the tarmac plant, as a high percentage of road works are carried out during the summer months," added Cllr Brady. He also revealed that just recently additional workers were employed in the Quinn Packaging plant.